august 2009 connection free

GREG STELTENPOHL, founder, OdwallaWOODY TASCH, chairman and president, SlowMoneyJUDY WICKS, founder, White Dog Cafe

PARTNERING O R G A N I Z AO R G A N I Z A T I O N S :T I O N S :La Montanita Co-op, Edible Santa Fe, Bioneers,1% for the Planet, Santa Fe Alliance, Blue MoonFund, Green Money Journal, Organic Valley Co-op, RSF Social Finance, Slow Food, TheOrganic Center, Edible Communities Publi-cations, BALLE, Ethical Markets Media, CapulinCooperative Alliance, Haymarket Peoples Fund,Crop to Cuisine

SIGN the Principles! JOIN the Alliance!REGISTER for the National Gathering atwww.slowmoneyalliance.org

MATTERED!SANTA FE, SEPTEMBER 9-11

Slow Money is a book, an emerging network, a call toaction. The goal: Major new sources of capital for localfood systems and small food enterprises. And, if that isn't

enough, authentic alternatives to the bigger, faster and morecomplex investment products of Wall Street.

When Woody Tasch came to New Mexico in 2007 to take ayear off and write a book, he didn't know he was starting amovement. Now, here he is, book in hand, the Slow MoneyAlliance launched, with a buzz that is national, and maybe eveninternational. Woody, a La Monanita Co-op member, is bring-ing Slow Money's inaugural national gathering to Santa Fe onSeptember 9-11. La Montanita Co-op is a proud sponsor.

Slow Money is inspiring folks, including a recent HuffingtonPost blogger: "This 4th of July, let's declare our freedom from the pharmo-petro-chemico-military-industrial-agribusiness... Slow Moneygets right to the heart of everything that's ailing our economyand corroding our culture... It offers a formula for a new kindof capitalism in which farmers' markets and stock marketsboth flourish.

“It makes the case for an enlightened, re-localized food systemthat could bring us wholesome foods affordably withoutdegrading people, animals and the planet. Sound impossible?It's really our only hope."

For more information or to register for the gathering goto www.slowmoneyalliance.org Consider membership inthe Slow Money Alliance. See you in Santa Fe, September 9-11 at the Slow Money Gathering!

FROM THE GROUND UPSeptember 9-11, 2009 • SANTA FE RAILYARD Slow Money’s new economic vision is an emerging net-work of investors, donors, entrepreneurs, farmers andactivists committed to building local food systems andlocal economies. It's about the soil of the economy. It's thebeginning of the "nurture capital" industry.

Come to Santa Fe. Meet thought leaders and changeagents from around the country. Let's build new capitalmarkets that support preservation and restoration. Let'sfix America's economy... from the ground up.

SPEAKERS I N C L U D E :I N C L U D E :PAOLO DI CROCE, executive director, Slow Food InternationalANTHONY FLACCAVENTO,executive director, AppalachianSustainable DevelopmentJOAN GUSSOW, author, ThisOrganic LifePETER KINDER, president, KLDResearch and AnalyticsFRED KIRSCHENMANN, director,Leopold CenterKRISTIN MARTINEZ, entrepreneurin residence, New MexicoCommunity CapitalDAVID ORR, professor, OberlinCollegeGEORGE SIEMON, CEO, Organic Valley

In order to preserve and restore local foodsystems and local economies; in order toreconnect food producers and consumers andreconnect investors to that in which they are

investing and to the places in which they live; in orderto promote the transition from an economy based onextraction and consumption to an economy based onpreservation and restoration; we do hereby affirm thefollowing Principles.I. We must bring money back down to earth.II. We must bring our money home. We must putmoney back into local economies and carbon backinto the soil.III. We must invest as if food, farms and fertility mat-tered.IV. We must invest as if carrying capacity, diversity andnon-violence mattered; as if aquifers mattered; as ifchildhood nutrition and food deserts and obesity side-by-side with hunger all mattered.

V. There is such a thing as moneythat is too fast, companies that aretoo big, finance that is too com-plex. Therefore, we must slow ourmoney down—not all of it, ofcourse, but enough to matter.VI. Organic seed companies, organ-ic farmers, manufacturers of organ-ic agricultural inputs, slow foodrestauranteurs, niche organic brands, local foodprocessors, producer and consumer co-ops, neigh-borhood retailers, CSAs, farmers’ markets, urbangardens, edible schoolyards—without them, therecan be no durable economic health or quality oflife, no durable food safety or food security.VII. We must build the nurture capital industry.VIII. We must give investors and philanthropiststhe tools they need to facilitate dramatic increasesin support for small food enterprises — new phil-anthropic charters that steer foundation assets,funds dedicated to CSAs and organic farmland,

and collaborative structures for local investors.IX. There is something beautiful about a diversified organicfarm. There is something beautiful about a CSA. There is some-thing beautiful about Terra Madre. There is nothing beautiful

about bovine growth hormone or Red Dye #4or high fructose corn syrup. We must invest asif beauty mattered.X. We must dare to imagine that after the Ageof Industrial Finance and IndustrialAgriculture comes the Age of EarthwormEconomics. Let us recognize the words of PaulNewman, one of its first proponents, whosaid: “I just happen to think that in life weneed to be a little like the farmer who putsback into the soil what he takes out.” XI. We must ask:

• What would the world be like if we invested 50% of ourassets within 50 miles of where we live?• What if there were a new generation of companies that gaveaway 50% of their profits?• What if there were 50% more organic matter in our soil 50years from now?XII. We need slow money... quickly.

The Slow Money Principles are a living document, a begin-ning, a reflection of the vision that is emerging in com-munities around the country. Join the Alliance and sign onat www.slowmoneyalliance.org

SLOW MONEY INVESTING AS IF OURFOOD, FARMS AND FERTILITY

COMING SOON, SAVE THE DATEOctober 24, 5:30pm at SITE Santa Fe

Susan Witt has served as executive director ofthe E. F. Schumacher Society since its found-ing in 1980 and has led the development of

its programs.

E. F Schumacher’s economic principles found a wideaudience with the publication of his landmark bookSmall is Beautiful in which he “argued for a system ofdiverse regional economies based on social and eco-logical principles.” At the Schumacher Society, Susanhelps to manifest Fritz’s ideals by “maintaining aresearch library, organizing lectures and seminars,publishing papers, developing model economic pro-grams, and providing technical assistance to groupsworking to build sustainable local economies by link-ing people, land, and community.”

Additionally, Susan is the founder and administrator ofthe Community Land Trust of the Southern Berkshires,and in that capacity has been responsible for many ofthe innovative financing and contracting methods that

Slow MONEYPRINCIPLES

INAUGURAL NATIONAL GATHERING:SLOW MONEY

created more affordable access to land. She is founderof the Self-Help Association for a Regional Economy(SHARE), a micro-lending program for small business-es and the newly formed “BerkShare” local currencyprogram. In 1992 she was elected the first woman pres-ident of the Great Barrington Rotary Club. She serveson the boards of the Great Barrington LandConservancy, WAMC Northeast Public Radio and ofthe Business Alliance for Local Living Economies(BALLE). She is an advisory board member of TheOrion Society, publishers of Orion magazine.

We are pleased to be able to publish several of Susan’sessays in the coming months in the Co-op ConnectionNews. Her essays have appeared in a variety of booksand periodicals across the globe. Susan speaks regu-larly on the topic of citizen responsibility for shapinglocal economies.

We at La Montanita Co-op are honored to be able tohost her for this, her first trip to New Mexico. Watchupcoming Co-op Connection News issues for moreinformation on her appearances in Albuquerque andSanta Fe in October. See her article, Land: theChallenge and the Opportunity beginning onpage 2.

OOcctt.. 2244tthh55::3300ppmm

with Susan Witt

Save theDate! THE CO-OP’S ANNUAL

MembershipMeeting

Sat. October 24th, 5:30pm at SITE Santa Fe, this event is free and open

to the public! Enjoy a Local Foods Fiesta, local music and SITESanta Fe’s current exhibition following Susan’s talk.

Space fills quickly so farmers,gardeners, artists and envi-ronmental and social justiceorganizations please reserveyour FREE space early. Toreserve your space contactRobyn at 217-2027. Or calltoll free 877-775-2667

WE ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME SUSAN WITTExecutive Director of the E.F.Schumacher Society. She willspeak on linking people,land and communitythrough local economies.For more information contact Robin at robins@lamontanita.coop or call herat 505-217-2027, or toll freeoutside of Albuquerqueat 877-775-2667.

See page 2 for more information.

SUSAN WITTLinking Land, People, Communities andLocal Economies

nnuurrttuurreeCCAAPPIITTAALL

living economicsA Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

La Montanita CooperativeNob Hill/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun.3500 Central SEAlbuq., NM 87106 265-4631

Valley/ 7am-10pm M-Sun.2400 Rio Grande Blvd. NWAlbuq., 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

Cooperative Distribution Center 3361 Columbia NE, Albuq., NM 87107217-2010

Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP)• General Manager/Terry Bowling 217-2020terryb@lamontanita.coop• Controller/John Heckes 217-2026johnh@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 Prokopiack/Santa Fe 984-2852willpro@lamontanita.coop• Alisha Olguin/Gallup 575-863-5383alishao@lamontanita.coop

Co-op Board of Directors:email: bod@lamontanita.coopPresident: Martha WhitmanVice President: Marshall KovitzSecretary: Ariana MarchelloTreasurer: Ken O’BrienWilliam Bright Lonn CalancaStephanie DobbieTamara SaimonsBetsy Van Liet

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: Robin Seydel Editorial Assistants: Rob Moore, Josh Centerrobm@lamontanita.coop 217-2016joshc@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 © 2009La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post- consumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

BY SUSAN WITT AND BOB SWANN

To read the full text of this article go to www.schumach-ersociety.org/publications/essay_land.html. Special thanks to Susan Witt and the E.F. SchumacherSociety for permission to excerpt the following article.

We abuse the land because we regard it as a commoditybelonging to us. When we see land as a community to whichwe belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.- Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (1949)

Many problems of our agedemand brave new solu-tions. The rapid break-

down of existing systems calls forcourage, flexibility, vision and stead-fast determination. It is time foraction of a broad and populistnature informed by common causeand common consent, action whichis bold and affirmative, action whichreflects a new understanding of ourresponsibilities to the earth and to one another. Future genera-tions deserve nothing less.

Earth-GivenThe economist Ralph Borsodi, in his book The SeventeenProblems of Man and Society, distinguishes between thosethings that can be legally owned and thus traded, and thosethat belong in the realm of "trusteeship," to use Gandhi'sterm. Whatever an individual creates as a result of laborapplied to land — the harvest from a garden, the home built ofwood from the forest, the sweater knitted from spun wool —is private property and may rightfully be traded as commodi-ties. However, the land itself and its resources, which areEarth-given and of limited supply, should be held in trusteeshipand their use allocated on a limited basis for present and futuregenerations.

The scarcity of arable land and a growing demand for it resultin an increase in the value of the land through no effort on thepart of the landowner. The potential for speculative gain inher-ent in the present system of private land ownership placestremendous pressure on the landowner to maximize the dollarvalue of the land by developing it. The use of zoning regula-tions and conservation restrictions is a limited and increasing-ly costly method for ending our tradition of land exploitation.

A further result of the ability to commoditize land is thatwealth generated by a community will flow first into land —from which high gains are anticipated — rather than into newsmall businesses. The local economy stagnates when a com-munity's capital is tied up in land. Credit for the small-businessowner tightens. The region loses its diversity of enterprises,which is the basis of a more sustainable economy and a moreenvironmentally responsible business sector. When a regionunties its capital from the land, it creates new investment cap-ital, which can activate the imaginative and entrepreneurialskills of the community, generating new local businesses thatwill produce goods and services once imported from otherregions. New investment capital can facilitate increased region-al production and steel regional economies against fluctuationsin the broader economy.

Community Land TrustThe Community Land Trust (CLT) concept as developed by theE. F. Schumacher Society was inspired by Ralph Borsodi and byBorsodi's work with J. P. Narayan and Vinoba Bhave, both dis-

ciples of Gandhi. Vinoba walked from village to village inrural India in the 1950s and 1960s, asking those with moreland than they needed to give a portion of it to their poorer sis-ters and brothers. The initiative was known as the Boodan orLand Gift movement, and many of India's leaders participatedin these walks.

Without tools, seeds and an affordable credit system availableto purchase these necessary things, the land was useless tothem. They soon sold their deeds back to the large landownersand left for the cities. Seeing this, Vinoba altered the Boodansystem to a Gramdan or Village Gift system. All donated landwas subsequently held by the village itself. The village wouldthen lease the land to those capable of working it. The leaseexpired if the land was unused. The Gramdan movementinspired a series of regional village land trusts that anticipated

Community Land Trusts (CLT in the United States).

The first CLT in this country allowed African-American farmers in the rural South to gain access tofarmland in the “New Communities” of Albany,Georgia. They relied on the legal documents of theJewish National Fund in structuring the organization.The Fund began to acquire land in Israel at the turn ofthe last century and now holds 95 percent of the landin Israel. It has a long and established legal history ofleasing land to individuals, to cooperatives, and tointentional communities such as kibbutzim.

After traveling to Israel in the 1960s, the group pur-chased a 5,000-acre farm in rural Georgia, developed a plan forthe land, and leased it to a group of African-American farmers.The legal documents have been tested and refined since the1960s, and hundreds of Community Land Trusts are now oper-ational, with many others in the planning stage. The persever-ance and foresight of that team of Schumacher staff and resi-dents of Georgia, motivated by the right of African-Americanfarmers to farm land securely and affordably, initiated the CLTmovement in this country.

Organizational StructureA Community Land Trust is a not-for-profit, democratic organ-ization, with membership open to any resident of the geo-graphical region or bioregion where it is located. The purposeof a CLT is to create a democratic institution to hold land andto retain the use-value of the land for the benefit of the com-munity. The effect of a CLT is to provide affordable access toland for housing, farming, small businesses and civic projects.A CLT acquires land by gift or purchase and then develops aland-use plan for the parcel, identifying which lands shouldremain forever wild and which should support low-impactdevelopment.

A Community Land Trust fosters healthy ecosystems and anappropriate social use of the land. The planners solicit inputfrom residents of the region to determine the best uses of theland: recreational space, wildlife preserve, managed woodlotsfor a local industry, secure farmlands for the region, affordablehousing and/or office space. The land trust then leases sites forthe purposes agreed upon. The lease runs for ninety-nine yearsand is inheritable and renewable on the original terms. Theleaseholder owns the buildings and any agricultural improve-ments on the land but not the land itself.

Upon resale, leaseholders are restricted to selling their buildingsand improvements at current replacement cost, excluding theland's market value from the transfer. They are not permittedto sell or sublet the land itself, which remains permanentlyowned by the Trust. The resale restriction ensures that the landwill never again be capitalized and will provide affordableaccess to land for future generations. The land-use plans ensurethat the resource base is maintained and enriched; not deplet-

DE-COMMODITIZE THE LAND

2 august 2009

IT’S YOUR CO-OP!

LAND:CHALLENGE ANDOPPORTUNITY

continued on page 3

RUN for theBOARD ofDIRECTORSCANDIDATE PACKETS AVAILABLEAUGUST 7TH

Pick up a Board Candidate packet at any Co-op location.Help guide the growth of New Mexico’s CooperativeEconomic network.

For more info contact : bod@lamontanita.coop.DEADLINE: September 17, 2009BOARD ELECTIONS: November 1-14th, 2009NOMINATIONS: from August 7-September 17

Schumacher’s 1974 tour of the States; a tourwhich had a catalytic effect on the sustain-able energy movement. At Schumacher’s sug-gestion Swann established a U.S.-basedgroup to work on the interface of economics,land use and applied technology; six yearslater the E.F. Schumacher Society came intobeing.

The mission of the Schumacher Society is topromote the building of strong local

economies that link people, land and community. With SusanWitt as executive director, the society has evolved programs thathave grown increasingly effective in fulfilling the mission envi-sioned by Schumacher, such as developing model programs,including local currencies, community land trusts, and micro-lending; hosting lectures and other educational events; publishingpapers; and maintaining a library to engage scholars and inspirecitizen-activists.

living economics

3

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.

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

Valley

Gallup

Santa Fe

"Perhaps we cannot raise the winds. But eachof us can put up the sail, so that when thewind comes we can catch it."

-E.F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful

Ernest Friedrich Schumacher, (August 16th,1911-Sept 4th, 1977) rose to internationalprominence with the publication of his

landmark book Small is Beautiful, Economics asif People Mattered in 1973. The book has beentranslated into 27 different languages and in1995 was named by the London Times LiterarySupplement as one of the hundred most influen-tial books written after World War II.

E.F. Schumacher Society founder, Robert Swann, wasinspired by Schumacher’s writings published inResurgence magazine. On a trip to England to meetSchumacher in 1967, he suggested the articles be col-lected in a book format, leading directly to the publi-cation of Small is Beautiful. Swann organized

EE..FF..SCHUMACHER

Another example of cooperation betweenlandholding organizations is the work ofthe Great Barrington Land Conservancy

(which has tax-exempt status as a conservationgroup) and the Community Land Trust in theSouthern Berkshires. When the CLT boughtRiverbank House, the steep riverbank behind thebuilding was littered with debris from years of neg-lect and from a fire in the building next door. CLTmember Rachel Fletcher led a clean-up team andconceived the idea of a Housatonic Riverwalk toparallel Main Street; the town has shared herdream. Over one thousand volunteers helped incleanup and trail-building along the river. TheGreat Barrington Land Conservancy now holds aninety-nine-year lease along the trail.

Recently the Community Land Trust in theSouthern Berkshires joined with the GreatBarrington Land Conservancy to establish afund to purchase tracts of farmland. Theland will be leased back to farmers at a rea-sonable cost, thus reducing overall indebt-edness on farms. The farmers will retainownership of the buildings and equipment,which they may sell to future leaseholders atreplacement value. The lease agreement is atool to protect present and future afford-ability of the land for farmers and ensuresthat conservation measures are incorporat-

ed into agricultural practices.

Appropriate Tool for ChangeThe Community Land Trust is a flexible civic toolfor holding land on a democratic basis for the com-mon good while facilitating private ownership ofstructures and improvements. Unfortunately, theaccumulation of land in CLTs has been very grad-ual. It is true that each new piece of land in a CLThas its own story of hope and good work and thateach piece serves to remind the general public thatland is "a community to which we belong." Butthere is no broad movement to de-commoditizeland. We have yet to fully imagine and embrace aculture in which land use is allocated by social andenvironmental contract rather than by checkbook.

Can our Western minds imagine what it would belike if all the land in a region were freed from debtand freed from trading to the highest bidder? Inshort, freed to be the "community to which webelong." E. F. Schumacher suggested in his classicwork, Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People

Mattered, that the best strategy foraction is simply to begin: "Perhapswe cannot raise the winds. But eachof us can put up the sail, so thatwhen the wind comes we can catchit." We feel that a Community LandTrust is just such a sail. A local CLT is,by its very existence, a means for edu-cating the public on issues of landtenure; it can "catch" and hold land asit is freed for the community. With theforming of Community Land Trustsaround the country, a movement isgrowing that can lead us to a new cul-tural relationship with the land. Weneed only dare to raise the sail.

ed. The Community Land Trust lease is a tool for meeting social andecological objectives.

The CLT as a regional landholding organization is an innovative con-cept compared to conventional patterns of landholding in the UnitedStates, but its roots go back to the tradition of the early settlers in NewEngland who brought the practice of the "commons" with them fromEngland. The CLT is not merely a method of holding land in common;it is a way for the community to hold land for the "common good"that provides both security and equity for leaseholders by encouragingtheir long-term investment and helping them to establish deep roots inthe community.

Innovative Planning,Ecologically Sound GoalsThe CLT recognizes that human beingsare a part of the ecological reality of aregion and that in order to reach ecologi-cally sound goals we must support eco-nomically sound objectives. The CLTapproach to land-use planning requires acompatible and sustainable mix of conser-vation, recreation, housing, farmland, andregional small-scale industries. This meansusing tracts of land in such a way that thehouses do not intrude, or intrude only minimally, on farmland and for-est. Because the Community Land Trust is the owner of all lots on a tractof land, it can cluster housing, build shared driveways, and designatecommon-use areas.

Cooperation Builds CommunityThe Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires holds title totwenty-one acres in Great Barrington known as Forest Row. ForestRow includes preserved land, a common recreational area, woodland,and eighteen units of housing clustered on five acres that were devel-oped in collaboration with the future home owners. Even with carefulplanning and unit-owner participation, the CLT was unable to keeppurchase costs as low as it would have liked because of the high costof construction.

This problem was tackled by the Fund for Affordable Housing, a sep-arately organized tax-exempt organization that can accept donationsto subsidize construction costs. The Fund has built two homes atForest Row for sale to low-income families. As a volunteer organiza-tion modeled after Habitat for Humanity, the Fund organizes com-munity assistance for the construction of the homes it builds.

THE SCHUMACHER SOCIETY

LAND AS A COMMUNITY TO WHICH WE

BELONGcontinued from page 2

for more informationwww.lamontanita.coop

“The modern industrial system has a built-in tendency to grow;it cannot really work unless it is growing. The word ‘stability’ hasbeen struck from its dictionary and replaced by ‘stagnation’. Itscontinuous growth pursues no particular aims or objectives: it isgrowth for the sake of growing. No one even enquires after itsfinal shape. There is none; there is no ‘saturation point’. Who, itmay be asked, calls the tune? Fundamentally, the technologist.Whatever becomes technologically possible — within certain eco-nomic limits — must be done. Society must adapt itself to it. Thequestion whether or not it does any good is ruled out on the spe-cious argument that no one knows anyhow what is good or evil,wholesome or unwholesome, worthy of man or unworthy.”

E.F. Schumacher from Modern Industry in the Light ofthe Gospel

IDOLATRYof GROWTH

august 2009

back to school august 2009 4

BENEFITS T H AT H A T A R ET A R E N U T R I T I O N A L A N D E C O N O M I C A LN U T R I T I O N A L A N D E C O N O M I C A L

BY NINA GOMEZ-LUCERO

It is common for parents to want the best fortheir children. So why should what youchoose to feed your baby be any different?

Making your own baby food is not as hard as it maysound. It offers many benefits like minimizing waste,is cost effective, it ensures that you are not feedingyour baby any additives or preservatives, offersmore variety for your child, and gives youpiece of mind knowing exactly what is goinginto your precious baby’s body.

Commercial Cereals vs. Homemadecereals: Commercial baby cereals are made fromrefined grains like rice, barley and oat. Theprocess of refining takes out the bran andthe germ (the most nutritious parts), allow-ing grain products to stay on the shelveslonger. There is nothing more pure andwhole than buying whole grains and making yourown baby cereal. Mix with breast milk or formula.Cooked cereal can be stored in the fridge for no morethan 72 hours.

Fruit and VegetablesIt is best to use fresh fruits and vegetables wheneverpossible although frozen fruits and veggies are okaytoo. Canned fruits and veggies are not recommended.When food is canned, liquid is added, either syrup orbrine. The can is then cooked at high temperaturewith the food in it, ensuring its long shelf life. Also theinside of the can is coated with BPA, an endocrine dis-rupting chemical that can leach into the food.Pediatricians recommend that you peel and cookfruits and vegetables until your baby is at least 8months old. This makes the food easier to digest .

The best way to cook fruits and vegetables is tobake, steam, or boil in scant amounts of water.Reserve the excess water for the pureeing.

Once the food is cooked, mash or puree as needed.You can also add water, breast milk, or formula. Keepin mind that it is best to use fresh and not frozenbreast milk. Cool and serve the puree or spoon it intoice cube trays and freeze for later use. If you decide tofreeze your puree, spoon the food in the ice cube traysand then cover them with plastic wrap and freeze.When they are completely frozen, pop the cubes out

of the trays and store in afreezer bag. Write the date andtype of food on the bag. Eachfrozen cube puree is equal toabout one ounce of baby foodand can be kept in the freezerfor up to three months.

ProteinsMeats, tofu and fish can becooked, pureed, and frozenjust as fruits and veggies are.

It is recommended not to use deli meats.

Chicken Purée (Basic) 1 cup cold and cooked boneless chicken - choppedinto no bigger than 1 inch pieces

Place in blender or food processor and puree until apowdery mix is formed. Slowly add water and pureefurther until a smooth consistency is created. Youmay add veggies or fruits to this puree as you like.

Tofu Baby MealsCube and sauté in olive oil or just blend or cube andserve. To blended tofu you add: applesauce, squash,avocado, pears blueberries and bananas, sweet pota-to and carrots, broccoli or parsnips

For more information, Inspired Birth and Familiesoffers classes. Visit their website www.inspiredabq.com/ or amylee@inspiredabq.com. Or check out thebooks on feeding baby at the Co-op.

BY AMYLEE UDELL

A t this time of year, our thoughts are on kids return-ing to the classroom. But, in truth, our childrennever stop learning. They may learn their three Rs in

a school building, but they learn the most about their world andworld view from YOU: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles,close family friends and other loving caregivers. One of my fam-ily’s main learning environments is La Montanita Co-op.

The Co-op is a fantastic living classroom for all kids (andgrown-ups, as well). Mommy’s Shopping Helper is a covetedposition in our home and I use that excitement to work inteachable moments. They do not need to be profound lessons,though some may leave lasting impressions. Rather, the cumu-lative effect of these little moments will help form life-long curiosity,habits and basic academic and living skills. Really? A grocery shop-ping trip? Just take a look:• Bring an age-appropriate grocery list for your child to read andcheck off. This could be drawing or photos you compile or a list yourchild wrote in his or her unsteady, novice hand. • Have your child find the bulk item number and, if able, write it onthe tag. This is MUCH more fun than a worksheet! I could alwaystell that my kids were anxious to do this “real” job and so it wasnever a chore for them. • Gathering ingredients for his or her own special recipe alwaysmakes shopping fun. And cooking provides lessons too numerous todetail, but includes geography (where is this recipe from?), chemistry(why does this rise?), fractions (we are doubling this, so how manycups are needed?) and even basic eye-hand coordination for a littlepourer and stirrer. • Compare prices – which product is really the better deal? • “Do we want the fruit from Chile or the local one?” This questioncan spur discussions on many fronts. Where is Chile? How did thefruit get here? Who got it here? Why is one cheaper than the other?When does this fruit grow? • A chocolate bar is a simple thing, isn’t it? But choosing one withyour children can open a world to them. What exactly IS chocolate?Where are the beans grown? How is it made? What is Fair Trade?You could work in a discussion of percentages and do a taste test.What kid WOULDN’T be motivated by that? • Check out the plethora of oils and see as many science lessons!What is an oil? From where does oil come? How do you get from aplant to a vegetable oil? What oils do you consider healthy and why?Which leads to….

• Nutrition – an obvious topic to come up duringfood shopping. What you buy (and do not buy)teaches your children your nutritional ideals. Talkabout why you like a certain food or why you can-not or will not buy another. • Exotic Cheese Diving is a favorite adventure ofours. We stand in front of the cheeses and see somany flavors, so many countries, so many milks,

so many processes! Such variance in price too.Basic economics can be worked into many shop-ping discussions. • As I have come to learn, food is highly political.As your kids get older, you can begin discussingpollution, real vs. processed foods, government

regulations, irradiation, subsidies, small andbig farming issues, food safety and how eachof these affects our food supply as a wholeand in your own home.

These are a very few examples of how yourkids can learn during a shopping trip. Evenreading ingredients of a package or estimatingthe bill as you go are valuable skills. Takingyour children with you to the co-op is timewell spent. You can just BE together and talkor you can also boost real life academic skillsin math, reading, writing, geography, science,history, social studies and so much more.

AMYLEE UDELL is a mother of three and co-owner of Inspired Birth and Families, whichpromotes life-long learning for parents andkids through pregnancy, birth, parenting,movement, nutrition and other lifestyle class-es. You can learn more about their events atwww.InspiredABQ.com.

SOME TIPS FOR

FEEDING BABY

PRAISE AND SELF-ESTEEMThursday, August 13, 6-8pmMany child development specialists are exploringthe backlash of evaluative praise and its effects ona child’s self esteem. This workshop explores theroot of positive self-esteem in children and the useof descriptive praise to support it.

This workshop is designed for parents of chil-dren of all ages. PLEASE REGISTER AT 505-232-2772 or www.InspirdABQ.com

PARENTING WORKSHOPSAND EVENTS GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Pre-conception and early pregnancy class. A greatstart for your baby AND you. HELD MONTHLY.Go to www.InspirdABQ.com for more info.

COMING SOON: It’s a FAMILY FAIR, September19: Budget Living — NATURALLY! A free com-munity event with tips, classes, presentations andsolid advice on raising a healthy family on a budg-et - while still having fun! Topics will include freeand cheap events for Albuquerque families, menuplanning, healthy eating for less, raising financiallyresponsible kids and MORE!

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to satisfy every need

from seedlings tomature trees

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THE CO-OP AS A LEARNINGENVIRONMENT

agua es vida august 2009 5

by Michael Jensen

Amigos Bravos has found seven different pharmaceuticalsand personal care products (PPCPs), including acetamino-phen, DEET, sunscreen, antibiotic, anti-seizure medica-

tion, tranquilizers and caffeine, in the drains andditches running along the Río Grande in theAlbuquerque-Bernalillo area.

The big question is: IS OUR WATER SAFE?

Environmental ImpactsResearch shows that PPCPs in surface waters are harmingwildlife. A recent New York Times article cited cases ofamphibians sprouting extra legs, male alligators withstunted genitals and male smallmouth bass producing eggs(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/opinion/28kristof.html). Salmon have been affected by the combina-tion of different pesticides found in agricultural areaswhich reach water through runoff. There is also evidence that earth-worms, snails, and zooplankton are affected by PPCPs. DEET (insectrepellant) appears to be somewhat toxic for coldwater fish, like trout,and some species of freshwater zooplankton. DEET may also have animpact on human health, especially in children.

Human Health ImpactsDebate about impacts on the environment is giving way to concernsabout threats to human health. One major concern is with “endocrinedisrupting compounds”, which are natural or synthetic hormones orchemicals that have a similar effect in the body. There are indicationsthat humans could be harmed by chronic exposure – such as throughdrinking water – to even very small amounts of these and otherPPCPs. For example:• Human embryonic kidney cells exposed to a mixture of commondrugs had cell growth slowed by up to a third;• Human blood cells exposed to diclofenac (a pain reliever) reactedas though they were inflamed; inflammation plays a role in conditionsranging from infections and arthritis to heart disease;• Human breast cancer cells grew twice as fast when exposed toestrogens – likely from birth control pills and hormone treatments –taken from catfish caught near untreated sewage overflows;• Bisphenol-A (used in some plastic bottles and the linings of soda andfood cans) has been linked to many health problems, including cancer;• Chronic exposure to small amounts of “persistent organic pollu-tants,” like pesticides, can increase the hormone system’s sensitivity,which could then trigger allergic reactions, including asthma, inpeople that may have a predisposition;

• A study by the Centers for Disease Controlfound oxybenzone in 96.8% of human urine.Oxybenzone may act as a photocarcinogenbecause it is a form of benzophenone, which isdocumented to break down DNA when illumi-nated. The CDC concluded that this kind ofchemical needs more research.

Emerging ScienceThe pharmaceuticalindustry and manywater suppliers arguethat there is no risk tohuman health from PPCPs in the environmentbecause the concentrations are so low andresearch in this area is not definitive. But some inthe industry now acknowledge the widespreadexistence of PPCPs in the environment and thelegitimate public concern over impacts to theenvironment or to human health.

The drug industry generally studies PPCPs by con-structing a model to estimate danger based on howmuch of the drug is sold and how toxic it is to lab-oratory animals at acute levels (large amounts overshort periods). Then they add a safety margin.However, emerging science indicates that PPCPstaken chronically (over time) at very low doses arehaving a documented impact on wildlife and a sus-pected impact on human health.

Researchers are beginning to understand howsome types of PPCPs can alter immune systemfunction. Acute doses seem to shut downimmune system functioning, but chronic low

A PHARMACY RUNS

TTTTHHHHRRRROOOOUUUUGGGGHHHH IIIITTTTPART TWO

doses can force the immune system into overdrive. Thiscounter-intuitive result is changing the field of drugimpacts research and the way standards are set, shift-ing the focus to chronic low-dose exposure. PPCPs maybe peculiar in this regard, compared to other environ-mental contaminants, because they are designed to acton the human body at very low concentrations.

Is the Water Safe?Typical wastewater treatment systems do not elimi-nate all PPCPs from the water they discharge; simi-larly, drinking water treatment systems also do not eliminate all PPCPs. Some methods, such as acti-vated carbon, ultraviolet and ozone treatment are more effective than standard treatment processes (the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water UtilityAuthority uses activated carbon and ozone). How-ever, the EPA says there are no wastewater treatmentsystems specifically engineered to remove pharmaceu-

ticals and is working onbetter treatments.

If the question is: “Are thelevels of PPCPs that wefound safe to drink?”, thenthe answer is: “They areconsidered safe by the gov-ernment, but they have only

begun to study the problem and have not yet estab-lished safe standards.” Federal law requires waterproviders to meet Safe Drinking Water Act standards.There are only approximately 100 chemicals with stan-dards, while the chemical and pharmaceutical indus-tries have created tens of thousands of compounds.

Given the trends in the emerging science on pharma-ceuticals, personal care products and endocrine dis-rupting compounds, it might be reasonable – absentconclusive testing on the water supply – for peoplewith compromised immune systems, pregnantwomen, the elderly and the very young to considerdrinking water that has received further treatment,either from reverse osmosis systems or from purifiedwater suppliers.

NEXT MONTH: What people can do about PPCPs.For information about this project, contactMichael Jensen (mjensen@amigosbravos.org)

Drinking theRIVER

BY JANET GREENWALD AND LESLEY WEINSTOCK

Every three years the New Mexico EnvironmentDepartment (NMED) Surface Water Quality Bureau pro-poses amended standards for the rivers of New Mexico,

including the Rio Grande. This process is called the TriennialReview; 2009 is a Triennial Review year. This year the NMED is pro-posing that the standards for long-lived alpha-emitting radionuclidesbe ten times more protective than they are currently. Long-livedalpha-emitting radionuclides include man-made radioactive isotopes,such as Plutonium.

Colorado recently made their standards for these radionuclides inrivers and streams one hundred times more protective. New Mexiconeeds to do the same. Recent research, such as that done by theworld-renowned physicist, Dr. Arjun Makhijani, shows that ourhealth, and especially that of the fetus and young child, is not pro-tected under the current Environmental Protective Agency (EPA)drinking water standards, which are less protective than NMED’sproposed river water standards. Increasingly, rivers have become atap water source.

The Water Utility Authority, which oversees domestic water suppliesfor Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, supports standards one hun-dred times more protective for long-lived alpha-emitting radionu-clides for the upper reach of the Rio Grande (above Cochiti).However, according to their correspondence with the NMED, theydo not support the ten times more protective standards recommend-ed by the State for the Albuquerque Reach of the Rio Grande (locat-ed between Bernalillo and Isleta). It is this reach of the Rio that cur-rently supplies twenty-five percent of Albuquerque’s tap water andsoon will supply ninety percent of Albuquerque’s drinking water.

Beginning in November of 2008 Aqua es Vida Action Team (AVAT)and Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping (CARD) askedthat the Water Utility Authority produce a written report with abudget (if their reasons are monetary) on why they will not supportmore protective surface water standards for the Albuquerque Reachof the Rio Grande. The Water Utility Authority has refused to com-ment concerning this request.

More Protective Standards forthe Rio Grande: JUST OUTOFOF REACH?REACH?

DEBATE ABOUT IMPACTS ON THE

ENVIRONMENT IS GIVING WAY TO

CONCERNS ABOUT THREATS TO

HUMAN HEALTH.

PLEASE CONTACT the Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) andask them to support more protective water quality standards forthe Albuquerque Reach of the Rio Grande including 0.15 pic-ocuries/liter for the long-lived alpha-emitting radionuclides.

SSuuppppoorrtt MMoorree PPRROOTTEECCTTIIVVEE

The Water Utility Authority Board consists of three city counselors: WUAChair Trudy Jones, 768-3106, eshields@cabq.gov; Rey Garduno: 768-3152, julianmoya@cabq.gov and Ken Sanchez: kensanchez@cabq.gov,768-3183. And three county commissioners: Alan Armijo, vice chair 468-7185; agonzales@bernco.gov; Maggie Hart Stebbins 468-7108,shgutierre@bernco.gov and Art De La Cruz: 468-7448, dherrera@Bernco.gov. Also on the WUA ABCWUA board is a representativeappointed by Mayor Martin Chavez: 768-3000, mayor@cabq.gov.

If you recognize your city or county representative, please contact thatperson. If not, contact the chair of the ABCWUA, Trudy Jones at 768-3106 and Mayor Chavez at 768-3000 or mayor@cabq.gov. For moreinformation contact Agua es Vida Action Team (AVAT) at 242-5511 or contactus@cardnm.org. Thank you!

WATER QUALITYssttaannddaarrddss!!

actionaalleerrtt

Body-CenteredPsychotherapy

and Trauma Healing

Penny HollandM.A., L.P.C.C, L.M.T.

505-265-2256LPCC Lic. 0494 LMT Lic. 1074

Leroux Creek Hotchkiss, CO Organic Apple Sauce, 4 pack. Select Varieties.Sale $2.49

Udi’s Denver, CO Wheat-Free Granola, 13 oz. Select Varieties. Sale $4.49

Herbs, Etc. Santa Fe, NM Deep Sleep, 1 oz. Sale $8.99. Additional Herbs Etc.items also on sale

Even more LOCAL PRODUCTSon sale in our stores!

co-op news august 2009 6

LOCAL SALE ITEMSSHOP LOCAL & SAVE

Dairy Department UPDATE BY MARK KASTEL, CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE

TThe recently released Cornucopia Institute Report, Beyond theBean: The Heroes and Charlatans of the Natural and OrganicSoy Foods Industry also has an accompanying scorecard rating

organic and non-organic brands. It separates soy industry heroes — whohave gone out of their way to connect with domestic farmers — fromagribusinesses exploiting consumer trust. The report and scorecard canbe found on Cornucopia’s web-site at www. cornucopia.org.

Through a nationwide survey ofthe industry, on-site farm andprocessor visits, plus reviews ofimport data, Cornucopia assem-bled a soybean foods rating sys-tem respecting the fundamentaltenets of organics.

SILK: Not so Smooth orTransparentAccording to reports by farmers and farmer-owned cooperatives, afterDean Foods purchased the Silk brand in 2002, it told domestic farmersthat they would not work with them and buy their organic soybeansunless they could match the cheaper price of imported Chinese soybeans.A Dean Foods’ statement about buying all North American soybeanswas recently added to their web page, just before the release of theCornucopia report. Silk Soymilk and Horizon organic milk are bothmarketed by White Wave, a division of Dean Foods.

Recently the Silk brand has switched to “natural” branding of theirproducts, with only a few Silk items remaining certified organic. Theydid not inform retailers of the switch to conventional soybeans, did notchange their UPSC codes and did not drop the price of their product,although they began using much cheaper conventional soybeans.

While Dean Foods denies that they utilize the cheaper, conventionalChinese soybeans, the Cornucopia Institute has no way of verifyingwhether the information about Dean Foods’ soy sourcing is accuratetoday because of their refusal to participate and share such data. Unliketheir two competitors in the refrigerated dairy case (Organic Valley andWildwood), Dean Foods refused to transparently participate inCornucopia's study—depriving their customers of an independently ver-ified review of their practices.

Many other prominent soy food brands around the country were fullytransparent in their practices. Another major name in the organic andnatural foods industry, Eden Foods, deserves particular recognition for

its exemplary practices in full and open disclosureof its business practices. Other highly committedcompanies, including Small Planet Tofu andVermont Soy, work directly with North Americanorganic farmers.

Taking a Hexane BathBeyond the Bean also exposes the natural soy indus-try’s “dirty little secret”: its widespread use of thetoxic solvent hexane. Conventional soybeans are

bathed in hexane by foodprocessors seeking to separatesoy oil from the protein andfiber of the beans. A by-product of gasoline refining,Hexane, a neurotoxic chemi-cal, poses serious occupationalhazards to workers and is clas-sified as a “hazardous air pol-lutant” by the EPA. It is bannedin organic production.

Food processors are the country’s major hexaneemitters. When The Cornucopia Institute sent sam-ples of hexane-extracted soy flour to an independ-ent lab for residue testing, residues as high as 21parts per million were found. The effects on con-sumer health of repeated and long-term consump-tion of hexane-extracted soy ingredients have notbeen thoroughly studied. An extraction process thatdoes not involve hexane is available, but usinghexane is cheaper for the processor.

Residue tests reveal that small amounts of hexanecan and do appear in ingredients processed with thetoxic chemical. Silk’s Light soymilk, as well as its“Heart Health” soymilk, is made with hexane-extracted soy flour instead of whole soybeans.Soybeans used in Silk’s Light and Heart Healthsoymilk are immersed in this neurotoxic petro-chemical to make soy flour, which is listed as themain ingredient in these Silk products.Silk’s cream-ers and Silk Plus Omega-3 DHA contain otherminor hexane-extracted ingredients—soy lecithinand algal oil, respectively.

The Cornucopia Institute has received reports fromparents of toddlers and children who experienceddiarrhea and stomach upset from the DHA used inSilk (Life’sDHA by Martek Biosciences Cor-poration). This is the same additive, found in infantformula (extracted from algae and soil fungus), thathas been linked to severe adverse reactions in infants.Cornucopia has obtained adverse reaction reportsfrom the FDA verifying this health side-effect.

The FDA has never tested the safety of Life’s DHA,relying instead on safety data supplied by the samecorporation that has a financial interest in sellingand placing these additives in foods. The FDA did,however, indicate serious reservations regarding thesafety of these additives. The government does notrequire that companies test for hexane residues infoods, including in soy-based infant formula.

For more information or to read the whole reportgo to www.cornucopia.org, e-mail them at cultivate@cornucopia.org, or call 608-625-2042.

EDITED FROM SEVERAL CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTESOURCES BY ROBIN SEYDEL

AUGUST SPECIALSWANT TO SEE YOUR LOCAL PRODUCT ADVERTISED HERE?

Contact Eli at elib@lamontanita.coop

Don’t be fooled by ”NATURAL“ Soymilk

Those of us on the Co-op Board take the pur-pose of La Montanita Co-op (also referred toas our Global Ends Policy) seriously. We agree

that the Co-op will have been successful if it helps tocreate “a cooperative community based in the sharedbenefits of healthy food, sound environmental practicesand a strengthened local economy withresults that justify the resources used.”That’s a tall order, and so several monthsago we began a process of board study inorder to deepen our understanding ofthe Cooperative Model. It has been aninteresting process that has raised morequestions than it has answered.

We started with a well-known article,“The Tragedy of the Commons” thathighlights the difficulties of cooperation and describes atendency toward competition and self-aggrandizingbehavior. We were left with questions about the mosteffective policies, legislation and forms of governmentto support cooperative behavior.

Next, we read a long history of cooperatives in theUnited States as well as an in-depth description of therise and fall of the Berkeley Co-op in California. Thesereadings left us with questions about many factors thatinfluence cooperative development, including types of

board leadership, systems of decision-making,the role of education in co-ops, the importance ofeffective partnerships and alliances, and the needto assess and respond effectively to changing eco-nomic times.

Finally, we read about the develop-ment of cooperatives in Europe andhow it has differed from the evolutionof co-ops in the United States. Thisexploration led to questions about theimpact of culture on cooperation, thevalue of national supports for cooper-atives and the importance of a region-al approach to economic development.

La Montanita Co-op is concernedabout broad-based and complex issues that haveto do with vital community, healthy economy,values-based education and sustainable agricul-ture, so maybe it isn’t surprising that knowinghow best to achieve our ends policy isn’t easy.Board study has been one way for us to expandour understanding of the multi-dimensional fac-tors that we must confront in every board deci-sion we are asked to make.

BY BETSY VANLEIT

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 7/29-9/1, 2009:NOT ALL ITEMS AVAILABLE AT ALL STORES.

Co-op Board Study:MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS !

THE SILK SOYMILK SAGA: IMPORTED BEANSandTOXIC CHEMICALS

IIn response to the Cornucopia Instituteresearch and report the Co-op willonly carry Silk Organic Soymilk and

has discontinued other Silk products. Inthe dairy case you will find Organic ValleySoymilk, Edensoy, Westsoy, and Soy Dream, allmade from nationally sourced organic soy-beans. Other alternative milks Pacific OrganicOat, (Pacific non-organic almond, hazelnutand rice), Organic Living Harvest Hemp milk,and Almond Breeze made by Blue Diamond(non-organic).

CCHHOOOOSSIINNGG WWIISSEELLYY

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

SOYMILKa soy HERO

asoyhheerroo

co-op news august 2009 7

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

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

democratically-controlled enterprise.

Calendarof Events

Recently, myself, Martha Whitman (boardpresident), Sharret Rose (human resourcesdirector), and Bob Tero (food service director)attended the annual CCMA (ConsumerCooperative Management AssociationConference) in Pittsburg. This was the53th annual gathering of CCMA. The themeof “By Art and Design: Thriving in TryingTimes” was appropriate, considering thecurrent economic climate. CCMA was at-tended by 350 food cooperative managers,directors and trainers from across the coun-try. Along with the many excellent work-shops offered at the conference, the most antici-pated event is the conference awards banquet.

I am proud to announce that La Montanita wasawarded the Cooperative Innovative and Achieve-ment award. This award was presented to LaMontanita for our work in establishing the Gallup

location, our remodel of the Santa Fe location, theFood-Shed Project and distribution center both

launched in 2007. This was agreat time to reflect on how farwe have come. This award istruly a cooperative effort of allour stakeholders. All of theseprojects have had and will con-tinue to have their share of chal-lenges. While it’s nice to bask inthe spotlight for a few minutes, itis also a reminder that we have

done good work, but there is more work to be done.

My heartfelt thanks to all who have supportedLa Montanita, and to our staff, who work hardevery day to make La Montanita more than agrocery store. As always, I can be contacted byphone at 505-217-2020 or by e-mail at terryb@lamontanita. coop. -TERRY

8/7 Board Elections Candidate Packets at Info Desks at allCo-op locations.8/18 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm8/24 Member Engagement Committee, CDC, 5:30pm TBA Finance Committee Meeting, CDC, 5pm9/9-9/11Slow Money, National Gathering in Santa Fe, see page 1

THE INSIDE SCOOP

BY VALERIE SMITH, VALLEY CO-OP

T hese days, a lot of businesses do goodwork. Agbanga Fair Trade, Shea ButterCooperative is one of them. Alaffia

Sustainable Skin Care is just such a company. Itsproducts combine the unique and wonderful hand-crafted shea butter of Togo, Africa, witha vision of empowerment and educationfor the people of Togo.

75% of the people of Togo live on lessthan $2 a day. Schools and health clinicsare few in number and concentratedmostly in the cities. With most peoplethere traveling by foot, education andhealth care are out of reach for mostrural residents. In rural areas, only 16%of boys will attend secondary schoolsand only 9% of girls. Togo has half the adult liter-acy rate of the United States.

Togo has the 45th highest infant mortality rate inthe world, with 57.66 deaths per 1,000 births(compared to 6.3 in the United States). More dev-astating is the death of mothers. 270,000 women inSub-Saharan Africa die each year from complica-tions associated with pregnancy and childbirth.Losing the primary caregiver in a family with youngchildren can have a crippling effect on the remain-ing parent’s earning potential, cruelly perpetuatingthe poverty cycle.

Olowo-n'djo Tchala, the founder of Alaffia, grewup in Togo, Africa. One of eight children, he livedin a tiny hut, with everyone fitting on the floor atnight by sleeping diagonally. He dropped out ofschool in the sixth grade to help the family earnmoney by farming. He later married an Americanbotanist and came to the United States, where hereceived a college education.

As a college student, Olowo-n'djo decided to dosomething for the people of his home country. Hestarted a company which manufactures a line ofshea butter-based skin and hair care products. Hepurchases shea butter from the Alaffia/AgbangaFair Trade Shea Butter Cooperative, a collective of

over 300 women from 80 families. Their knowl-edge of working with shea butter creates a rich, vel-vety butter nothing like the refined paste sold in themass market. Besides being paid higher wages fortheir work, the cooperative members can get grantsfor starting other businesses.

Alaffia donates 10% of itssales to community improve-ment projects in Togo. Theprojects that Alaffia supportsare:1. The Bicycle Project. Alaffiahas collected over 2,000 bikessince 2006 and sent them toTogo for students who wouldotherwise be unable to attenddistant schools. It also employs

a bike mechanic in Togo to make sure the bikes canbe used by their recipients.2. The Schools Project. Alaffia has donated schoolsupplies and uniforms for 300 children in the last 2years, as well as building benches and roofing forrural schools.3. Maternal Health Care. 5% of opening storeorders go to the Fousena Fund, named for thefounder’s sister who died of complications of child-birth. This fund provides 40 women per year withfull pre- and postnatal care. Alaffia also opened theAlaffia Women’s Health Clinic in 2007.4. The Reforestation Project. Alaffia donates treesto communities for replanting deforested areas,concentrating on the hardest hit areas, as well asthe shea tree forests.

Alaffia’s products are wonderfully rich and come ina variety of exotic fragrances, as well as unscented.Besides being very clean, the products are luxuriousand a decadent treat for the senses. The recentintroduction of the Everyday Shea lotions (13%shea butter) added enough sales to allow theAfrican cooperative to hire 4 more women. Eachproduct that is purchased contributes directlyto the future of Togo by empowering womenand students.

Alaffia Co-op Body Care ProductsGOOD FOR US, GOOD FOR THEM

Health and Beauty Aids Product Spotlight:

Board of Directors’ Elections CalenderImportant Dates toREMEMBER

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wwaannttss YYOOUU!!

August 7: Nominations for Candidates for the Board of Directors Elections open.All Candidates must have been Co-op members as of July 1, 2008. Packets avail-able at all locations.September 17: Nominations for candidates close. Members should be sure toupdate their addresses at their local Co-op Information Desk if they have movedin order to receive ballots.October 24: Annual Membership Meeting. Candidates have an opportunity tointroduce themselves to the membership. Susan Witt of the E.F. SchumacherSociety will speak on Linking Land, People, Economics and Communities.November 1-14: Annual Board of Directors Elections.WATCH YOUR MAILBOX FOR YOUR BALLOT.

CALLING ALL CANDIDATES

EXPERIENCE JAZZ IN NEW MEXICO LAND OF ENCHANTMENTFunded in part by the New Mexico Tourism Department

O U T P O S T

Thursday Summer Jazz Nightssponsored by

Thursday, 7:30pm AUGUST 6

Thursday, 7:30pm AUGUST 13

Friday, 7:30pm AUGUST 14Saturday, 7:30pm AUGUST 15

SSHHOOPPYOURCO-OP

FRESHDDEELLIICCIIOOUUSS

&&ORGANI C

Classical HomeopathyVisceral Manipulation

Craniosacral Therapy

MARY ALICE COOPER, MD

St. Raphael Medical Center204 Carlisle NE Albuquerque, NM 87106

505-266-6522

Heat oil in medium frying pan. Saute onion untiltender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add green pepper,garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt, oregano, basiland Tabasco sauce; cook 2 minutes. Remove panfrom heat and stir in tomatoes and pears. Coverand refrigerate. Makes 5 cups.

Watermelon Fire and Ice Salsa

3 cups watermelon – chopped and seeded1/2 c. chopped green pepper 2 T. fresh lime juice 1 T. fresh, chopped cilantro 1 T. green onion chopped1 T. jalapeno, green chile or favorite hot pepper – seeded and chopped*1/2 t. finely chopped garlic

*Use up to 2 tablespoons chopped jalapenos,depending on taste.

Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate1 hour. Delicious with cheese-filled manicotti,or use 1 cup sour cream on top of 1 cup salsaand serve with chips.

Raspberry Salsa

1/2 c. fresh raspberries, washed1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper2 Serrano peppers, minced fine1/4 c. chopped red onion1/2 c. chopped tomato, seeded2 t. fresh chopped cilantroSalt to taste

Gently combine all the salsa ingredients, care-fully leaving the raspberries whole. Allow to setfor at least 1 hour.

salsa season august 2009 11

fresh fair&LOCAL

Fiery Thai Salsa

3 c cucumbers, chopped seeded-peeled1 c green onion, chopped3/4 c. radishes, chopped1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped3 T. fresh ginger, minced & peeled3 T. fresh lime juice2 T. sugar1 T. minced garlic1 t. minced garlic1-1/2 t. sesame chili oil

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Salt totaste. Cover and refrigerate until juicy, about 1hour. Stir before serving cold.

Classic Pico de Gallo

8 Roma tomatoes, chopped 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped 2 jalapenos, minced 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped Juice of 1/2 a fresh lime1/2 t. coarse salt 1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper

Combine roma tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos,cilantro, fresh lime juice in a small serving bowl.Season with salt and pepper.

These recipes have been adapted and reprintedfrom the following sources:

www.gourmetsalsarecipes.comwww.recipesource.com

www.pepperfool.comwww.tampabay.rr.com

www.fatfree.comwww.thefunplace.com

CLIMATE CHANGE IN NEW MEXICO: SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITIESAugust 21, 9- 4pm, George Pearl Hall at UNM, Central and Stanford NE, Albuquerque

New Mexico residents and leaders discuss confronting climate change with mean-ingful policies, laws and actions. $20 Symposium fee includes box lunch. Scholarshipsavailable. Seating is limited. RSVP:www.lwvnm.org, e-mail LoraLucero@aol.com or 505-247-0844. Funded in part by Oxfam of America, the League of Women VotersEducation Fund, and the Sierra Club, Rio Grande Chapter.

Personal Growth

Childhood Trauma • Illness

Drugs/Alcohol • Loss

Women’s Issues

Louise Miller, MA LPCC NCC

Psychotherapy

louise@louisemiller.org Phone (505) 385-0562

www.louisemiller.org Albuquerque, NM

Therapeutic Environments™www.bodymindspiritplace.com

505.343.0552Connie HenryPhD, ND, RN, CHF, CADS/Digby Henry MA, CHF, BBP, CADS

Offering: “Certified Health Facilitator Program” and in Collaboration with NM Solutions, Call 505.268.0701Smoking Cessation Classes, AcudetoxConsultation and Wellness classes

La Montanita Co-op’sValley Location hostsFAMILY WELLNESSFAIRSat., Sept. 19th, 10-4pm

FREE For more info contact VALERIE AT 505-242-8800 2400 Rio Grande Blvd, NW

NMSU-LOS LUNAS FIELD DAYThe NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Economic SciencesAgricultural Science Center at Los Lunas and the USDA-NRCS Los Lunas PlantMaterials Center Invite you to attend Field Day at Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 1036 Miller St. SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031, 505-865-4684

Registration begins at 8am, Welcome Addresses begin at 8:15am. Field Tours and Demonstrations

begin at 9am. Lunch at Noon and Door Prizes!

farming & gardening august 2009 13

TT he Food and Drug Administration has madethe informal decision to regulate transgenicfish under its authority to

review new animal drugs. Giventhe potential toxicity, allergenicityand aquaculture diseases posed by thecommercialization of transgenic fish,the Center for Food Safety is demand-ing that the FDA adopt a pre-marketregulatory review that does notignore these potential human healthsafety concerns.

The potential impacts of these fish on public health mustbe researched by companies that are not profiting fromtheir commercialization. This research is important asgenetically engineered fish (GE fish) are new to the humanfood supply and present unknown risks to human health,including the potential impacts of significantly elevatedgrowth hormone levels in these fish. The FDA's failure torequire toxicological testing for these fish suggests thatthe agency's review process is favoring the biotech indus-try instead of acting to ensure consumer safety.

The commercialization of these genetically engineeredfish poses the potential for irreversible damage to the

environment. Fish farms have repeatedly demon-strated that fish kept in ocean and freshwaterpens escape from their confinements. There arecompelling scientific studies documenting thepotential for escaped genetically engineered fishto become invasive species that could cause per-manent ecological damage to wild fish stocks aswell as to the wider marine environment. Thesenew studies have shown that transgenic fish aremore aggressive, eat more food and will attract

more mates than wild fish. The studies also show thatalthough transgenic fish will attract more mates, theiroffspring will be less fit and less likely to survive. As aresult, scientists predict that transgenic fish may causesome species to become extinct within only a few gener-ations. When one species becomes extinct, other specieswill likely be affected. There are already 114 species offish, including the Atlantic salmon that are listed underthe Endangered Species Act. The FDA should not pro-mote the introduction of another threat to our endan-gered fisheries.

Impacting PUBLIC HEALTH

CONTACT THE FDATODAY!Demand a Moratorium on the Commerciali-

zation of Genetically Engineered Fish. Forreasons already mentioned and others, please

take the time to contact the FDA and strongly urgethem to fully review the significant human health andenvironmental risks posed by genetically engineeredfish. The precautionary principle must be used at thishealth and planet-altering juncture.

The approval and commercialization of GE salmonand other GE fish at this time is totally unaccept-able! Please fully support a moratorium on the com-mercialization of transgenic fish. Go to www.centerfor-foodsafety.org to send an e-mail to the FDA on thecommercialization of genetically engineered fish. Orwrite to: Docket No. 01P-0230. Dr. Andrew vonEschenbach, Food and Drug Administration, 10903New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002,or by telephone: 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)main FDA phone number (for general inquiries).

FDA is Poised to APPROVEGENETICALLY ENGINEERED FISH

International Organic CONFERENCECOMES TO SANTSANTA FEA FEBREEDING DIVERSITY: IFOAM Conferenceon Organic Animal and Plant Breeding Sante Fe, August 25-28

The time is right to focus onorganic breeding. Fostering thesustainable development of new

successful low input breeds is urgent inthe face of coming challenges of foodinsecurity and massive threats to thelivelihoods of millions of people causedby climate change.

Through the conservation and promo-tion of Agro-Biodiversity of both animaland plant genetic resources, organic agriculture willagain prove to be a viable alternative to geneticallymodified organisms. Both organic plant and animalbreeding are gaining momentum in several parts ofthe world. Successful organic breeding is the basisof organic production, but it is only in early phas-es of development.

Organic breeding includes the efforts of both pro-fessional companies involved in the organic mar-ket, as well as participatory farmers’ initiativesfrom around the world. The conference aims atencouraging the dialogue between commercialand subsistence farmers, scientists and practition-ers, professional farmers and hobby gardenersand animal keepers, to promote the lively ex-

change of experiences and perspectives on organicbreeding. Even though technical aspects may differ,each field can inspire the other to develop and build

upon successful strategies.

This conference provides for theopportunity to revive traditionalknowledge from the globalNorth and South and connect itwith current international or-ganic research. Through thefusion of traditional breedingknowledge and newly developedorganic breeding methods, there

is a great opportunity for intercultural learning andvaluing knowledge which was kept through genera-tions for the well-being of communities.

Because of the key role women play in the selectionof seeds and management of small livestock, theconference will highlight their knowledge and con-tributions. Vandana Shiva wil give the openingkeynote address on August 25th. This event is opento the public (those not attending the whole con-ference). Tickets are $15 general admission.

The conference will take place in the brand newconvention center of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Formore info or to register for the whole conferenceor just the opening event go to www.shop.ifoam.org/conference.

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V I S I O N S H I F T: A RT I N T H E A G E O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E

sustainable communities august 2009 14

BY FRANK WILSON OF THE FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING

The Foundation For Sustainable Living is a non-profit foun-dation that develops and implements projects to promotesustainability of all life on the planet. Our principal focus is

on creating a consciousness that the world is home for all to enjoyequally. To achieve sustainability, we promote wise use of limitedresources, developing renewable resources and defining our individualneeds from the heart. To demonstrate our commitment to our statedmission, we have taken action to minimize our impact on the environ-ment by lowering consumption of resources, first adjusting our energyuse and then producing our own power. Information on our projects isavailable on the website at www.foundationforsustainableliving.org.

Existing Office BuildingThe original building was designed and built in 1985 as a passivesolar office. The south facing walls are all glass with a massive con-crete trombe wall located one foot inside the windows. A clerestorywindow also allows sunlight to strike the concrete north wall andstore radiant solar energy. The design originally specified a passivesystem that relied on heat radiation and the convective loop to movethe warm air through the building. Three small blowers controlled bya thermostat attached to ductwork were later added to move warmair to the cooler areas of the building. The heat produced is stored inthe thick walls and concrete slab floor.

On those rare cloudy days, electric or gas heat warms the building.Springtime ventilation and summer cooling for most months is pro-vided by evaporative coolers. These energy efficient units move fresh,humid air in through the ductwork and exhaust stale air to the out-side through ceiling vents. Refrigerated air is used only in the hothumid months; this is done quite reluctantly because of the high ener-gy consumption.

Selecting an Alternative Source: Photovoltaic ElectricIn 2007 the Foundation elected to become more energy self sufficientand install a photovoltaic system. We selected a grid-tied systemwhereby Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) gives a cred-it for any excess power the system produces. In addition, PNM paysa conservation credit of $0.13 (2007 rate) per kilowatt hour (kWh)for all electricity generated.

The system is sized for the amount of electricity needed, which is meas-ured in kilowatt hours. To minimize overall cost we began by evaluatingour present energy use, finding that the fluorescent ballast lightinginstalled in 1985 was consuming 2.5 times more energy than modernlighting systems. A more efficient lighting system was installed, provid-ing better quality light with less energy consumption.

The electric hot water heater was placed on a timer to produce hotwater at lunchtime, and an on-demand hot water heater is proposedas a future energy saving replacement. We determined that the unvent-ed attic space was a source of unwanted heat, and immediatelyinstalled two wind-powered turbines to exhaust this heat. The coolerattic lowers cooling costs.

System SizingThe cost of a photovoltaic increases as the capacity of energy produc-tion increases. Our choices for sizing were dictated by roof area avail-

able to place panels, size of inverters and controllersreadily available, peak energy demand, and initialcapital the Foundation was willing to invest. Amajor consideration was that PNM will only pay aconservation credit if the system is less than 10 kilo-watts (10kw).

We selected a system sized at 10kw, which means foreach hour of optimum sunlight, the panels are capa-ble of producing 10,000 watts. This is enough ener-gy to illuminate 100 light bulbs of 100 watts each. .

Does it Pay for Itself?We are often asked about the economics of the sys-tem which will indeed pay for itself in about 20years, but this time is reduced to 10 years when

Federal and State tax credits are factored in. Also, inNew Mexico, there is no state sales tax on thisequipment.

During the fall and spring when there is lower ener-gy use and sunny days, the net meter (the one PNMreads to calculate your monthly bill) turns back-ward. Only when the refrigerated air or the central

heating unit is operating does the metermove forward at a slow pace.

When asked about the economics I won-der why an alternative energy system isasked to pay for itself in measurable cur-rency (meaning US dollars). The returnon the money spent can be measured bythe feeling that is present in the staffevery day when we arrive at work to acomfortable work place that producesmore electricity than it consumes.

The feeling of opening the mail and receiv-ing a check from the utility company is

hard to explain. It can be compared to receiving a div-idend from your investment in a “green” company,except in this case we have eliminated the risk ofinvesting with someone we may never see, or paying acommission to a broker. We are being paid directly toproduce our own energy.

Getting Started NowFor the price of a new economy car, a propertyowner can install a system that will create some ener-gy independence, which for many will provide astrong sense that they can contribute to the overallwell being of the planet. To become an energy pro-ducer is rather easy, and for the Foundation it hasbeen a rewarding experience.

FRANK E. WILSON is the founder and director ofthe Foundation For Sustainable Living which isfunded by private donations. He divides his timebetween Costa Rica in Central America andAlbuquerque. He can be contacted at info@foundationforsustainabliving.org or 998-0301.

A SMALL BUSINESS DEMONSTRATES

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MINIMIZE our impact on theenvironment... lower resource

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MINIMIZE OUR IMPACT

BY MARIEL NANASI, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, NEW ENERGY ECONOMY

“Vision Shift! Art in the Age ofClimate Change” explores thefuture of Santa Fe as we look at the

opportunities ahead in the new energy econo-my. We invite you to join us by using your creativepower to help re-imagine our future landscape –one powered by the sun, the wind and the land, notfossil fuels.

Opening on October 8, 2009, at five venues inSanta Fe: Art-in-Transit (displayed inside pub-lic buses throughout Santa Fe), Center forContemporary Arts (CCA), Santa Fe ArtInstitute, Santa Fe Place (the “Mall”), andWarehouse 21, we hope to create a neededparadigm shift and help break our dependencyon fossil fuels.

This art collaborative is inviting artists to com-municate their deepest concerns about pollutionand the environmental destruction occurring in ourworld today. We will also celebrate the miraculoushuman ingenuity and innovation needed to end thisdevastation. Please consider creating art (includingperforming) for one of the openings. See the exhi-bition prospectus at: www. visionshift.org.

We seek to inspire and raise the consciousness ofthose who view the art, impact policy, transformour carbon footprint, and create meaningful socialchange within our own community. The art shownwill depict images both hopeful of what transfor-mation can bring, in the real or abstract, as well asgraphic images of earth devastation, human dis-placement, the effects of hubris and depictions ofthe suffering and tragedy directly linked to envi-ronmental destruction.

Through art we can challenge many of our society'sdeepest-seated assumptions, such as the connectionbetween consumption and happiness, the electric/

gas utility as “provider,” the difference between“wants” and “needs,” the “benefit” of plan-ned obso-lescence and others.

Vision Shift! is a collaborative of organizations includ-ing Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe ArtInstitute, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA),Earth Care (Youth Allies Leadership Program), FineArts for Children and Teens (FACT), New EnergyEconomy, Santa Fe Place and Warehouse 21. It also

includes community individualsengaged in arts, social activism,environmental sustainabilityand youth development. Otherorganizations are welcome tojoin the Collaborative in thecoming weeks.

The Art Collaborative will hostone opening night at each artexhibition space. Starting in

October we will feature different performance artistswho will translate ideas into movement, dialogue orvisual imagery, and communicate a new understand-ing through the languages of art. Installations andevents throughout the month of October will includepaintings, sculpture and live performances. Join us aswe work to spark activism and critical communityengagement around the twin challenges of globalwarming and energy dependence.

Now, more than ever, we need our poets, musicians,actors and singers – all our creative people – to speakloudly, to help decipher our situation and concoctremedies for extricating ourselves from the destruc-tion of our environment. After the October eventspartner organizations will continue to activate thisartistic network to help with important policy andregulatory initiatives.

For more information contact New EnergyEconomy at mariell@seedsbeneaththesnow.comor call 505-469-4060.

shifting the energy

PARADIGM

Joe’s Diner, 2801 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, Front PatioJoe's Diner has led the Santa Fe food industry in sup-porting the Farmers’ Market and many items are pre-pared from scratch on the premises. Join Duncan Sil from Santa Fe County's Office on EconomicDevelopment for a brief overview of the developingSolar Financing program. Local builders, designers andenergy experts will be on hand to answer all your ques-tions about how to make your current investment more energy efficient.

All are welcome! See you at Joe’s Diner

GREENDRINKS

SOLARFINANCING

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community forum august 2009 15

BY KENT SWANSON, ABQ OPEN SPACE

Since its inception in 1984, the City ofAlbuquerque Open Space Division hasbeen working to preserve environmentally

and culturally important lands throughout theAlbuquerque area. Much of what definesAlbuquerque and makes it unique is its “open” andundeveloped spaces, such as the cottonwoodBosque of the Rio Grande Valley, the SandiaFoothills and the volcanic escarpment and grass-lands of the City’s West Side.

Most people living in Albuquerque are aware thatthe Open Space program exists to preserve theselands, but many people do not know everything wedo. For example, the Division also manages farms,wetlands, archeological sites and hundreds of acresof Major Public Open Space in Sandoval Countyand in the Manzanos and Sandia Mountains.

The 25th Anniversary Celebration is a great way tolearn more about the Division and the varied landswe manage, while taking in a festive environmentof music, food, tours, workshops and more at our

beautiful Open Space Visitor Center. Therewill be activities for the whole family inaddition to educational displays about theDivision and its history. Scheduled tours andactivities include:• Self-guided Bosque Tours• Piedras Marcadas Pueblo Tour• Farm Tours/Hay bale Rides• Art Tables for the Kids• Live Birds presented by Hawks Aloft• Workshops on Gardening and Agriculture• Live Music• Food vendors• Presentations by community members involved inearly Open Space preservation

The 25th Annual Open Space Celebration is free andopen to the public. Please call 452-5200 or seewww.cabq.gov/openspace to learn more about thisunique event for the whole family. The Open SpaceVisitors Center is located at 6500 Coors Blvd. NWbetween Montaño and Paseo del Norte at theend of Bosque Meadows Rd.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory-Very Large Array (NRAO) and The AlbuquerqueAstronomical Society (TAAS), in partnership withthe City of Albuquerque's Open Space Divisionand the Explora Science Center, will present afree astronomy event for girls aged 8 to 18 enti-tled "She Is An Astronomer," on Sunday, August9, from 1-6pm at the Open Space Visitor Centeron Albuquerque's West Side.

"She Is An Astronomer" will feature a variety ofhands-on science activities and demonstrations, planetarium shows everyhalf hour, and, weather permitting, telescope viewing of the sun. Girls willmeet and interact with some of New Mexico's top female astronomers andscientists, who will be staffing activity stations. Educators from theExplora Science Center and female amateur astronomers from TAAS willalso present activities.

To support the event theme, "Astronomy Is Women's Work," a selectionof activity stations will take a myth-busting approach to traditional femaleroles. These stations are: "Doing Dishes" (radio astronomy); "Looking inthe Mirror" (optical astronomy); "Cooking Light" (astrophotography, thespectrum); "Applying Mineral Make-up" (planetary geology, meteoritics,astrobiology); and "Sweeping the Universe" (sky surveys, building modelsof the universe). Girls who visit all five of these stations will receive anastronomy-related keepsake.

Participating astronomers and scientists include:Jayne Aubele, Planetary Geologist and Vulcanologist; Penelope "Penny"Boston, Astrobiologist; Patricia "Trish" Henning, Astronomer; RhianJones, Meteorite Expert; Laurel Ladwig, Planetarian; Aileen O'Catherine,Astronomy Writer; Becky Ramotowski, Astronomy Writer & Astro-photographer; Debra Shepherd, Astronomer.

The Open Space Visitor Center is located at Coors Boulevard andBosque Meadows Road, between Paseo del Norte and MontanoRoad. For event information and directions, call 505-261-0040, orvisit www.astronomyworkshops.org/siaa.html.

ALBUQUERQUE OPEN SPACE PRESENTS:

SHE IS AN ASTRONOMER A SPECIAL EVENT

FORGIRLS

7th Annual WE ART THE PEOPLE FolkArt Festival ReturnsBY RON BREEN

Albuquerque's 7th annual WeArt the People folk art festivaland Giant Puppet Parade kicksoff Sunday, September 13, withmore than 100 local artists andtheir recycled, found and evennew creations.

We Art the People is staged by OFFCenter GalleryCommunity Arts Studio, which is also planning a com-munity recycle-for-art project leading up to the folk artfestival. Dozens of arts and crafts vendors will be dis-playing and selling art assemblages made from radios,furniture, bottle caps and tobacco tins; tee-shirt skirts;bowls fashioned out of old LPs and a "zoo" of exoticanimals made out of recycled car parts.

The alcohol-free event will feature a Samba parade ofgiant puppets made of fabric, wood, parts of back

packs and old inner tubes; an art tent whereanyone can make art; two stages of musicalentertainment, buskers and food and drink.

"It's a lot of fun and it's free. There's art-making and fun for all ages," saidOFFCenter artist Sharie Fabian.

OFFCenter is a community art spacelocated in the heart of Albuquerque. Thecenter is home to a studio, a gallery anda sales shop. Anyone in the community iswelcome to come to OFFCenter to makeand buy art. Artists of low income areespecially encouraged to make art in the

studio, sell their work in the gallery shop andsubmit their work for display in the gallery.Individuals, families and groups participate in awide variety of both casual open studios andorganized activities.

To participate in any of OFFCenter’s activi-ties, sign-up for a booth space at the WeArt the People Folk Fest or to volunteercontact Ron Breen, 505-247-1172.

Open Space 25th AnniversaryCelebration, August 8, 9-5pm

B U I L D I N G C O M M U N I T Y T H R O U G H

ARARTMAKNGTMAKNG

HERB WALKS!WITH NOTED LOCAL HERBALISTBert NorgordenDiscuss plant family characteristics, how to use “KEYS” inidentification and the medicinal properties of each herb. Bert hasbeen wild crafting and making herbal medicines since 1988,taught at the North American College of Botanical Medicine, isthe Director of the Foundations in Herbal Medicine Course, makesherbal tinctures and is utilizing his photography for both plantidentification and art.

Aug.9In the Sangre de Christos, 9-6pm

Aug.23In the Jemez mountains, 9-6pm

TO REGISTER or forinfo call 345-9132 plantworksnm@aol.com

LEARN TO IDENTIFY MANYINDIGENOUS MEDICINAL PLANTSAS WELL AS WHICH ONES AREPOISONOUS.

NTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACECome celebrate International Day of Peace and learnmore about what people are doing to create peace intheir lives. Albuquerque Center for Peace & Justice,Project PeacePal and Roots & Shoots will be sponsoringthis fundraiser with interactive exhibits, small silent auc-tion, and food for sale at the Harwood Art Center onSunday, Sept. 20th from 2-5pm. Music with the ToddTijerina band and others. The event is free, but bringyour wallet! For more information call 255-2042.

PPEEAACCEE IISS AA VERB SEPT. 20TH 2-5PM

ENJOY A FRESH BAGUETTE made from Northern New Mexicogrown wheat that was milled in Central New Mexico and craft-ed into bread by a small local bakery. This baguette represents a value chain of growers, processors, producers and distributors from all over New Mexico

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The Albuquerque Cultural Conference is holding aone-day Talkfest at the Harwood Art Center onSaturday, September 5, from 10-5pm. Topics will

include the present state of the arts, culture in the region,programs on performance art, community action, cultural

politics, and planning the 2010 Conference.

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august 9th

AN APPLE A DAY...

Apples are chock full of vitamin C and antioxidants, and eating apples has been shown to help prevent several different types of cancer. High in fiber, bulky for the number of calories apples contain, apples may also help aid with weight loss and lowering cholesterol when eaten in place of higher fat and sugar content foods.

The Co-op Produce Dept has a variety of apples available at great everday values. Get one for the teacher too!

Expires 8-31-2009 • Redeemable ONLY at La Montañita Co-op locations

PLU: 8314 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

$2.00 off ONE (1) Bottle of Nordic Naturals® Nordic

Omega-3 Gummies • 60 count

Expires 8-31-2009 • Redeemable ONLY at La Montañita Co-op locations

PLU: 8315 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

$1.00 off ONE (1) 8 oz Bottle of All Terrain® Hand Sanz™

Fragrance Free ONLY

START THE DAY RIGHT If you are looking for a food that help you begin your day with lasting energy, help you lose weight, and help in the fight against heart disease and other anxiety-inducing diseases, eat oatmeal. Every member of your family will be positively affected by your decision to include oatmeal in your diet.

The Co-op Bulk Dept has a vast assortment of breakfast cereals available at great everday values.

Expires 8-31-2009 • Redeemable ONLY at La Montañita Co-op locations

Expires 8-31-2009 • Redeemable ONLY at La Montañita Co-op locations

Expires 8-31-2009 • Redeemable ONLY at La Montañita Co-op locations

50¢ off any SIX (6) Clif Kid™ Organic Z BaR or Organic Twisted Fruit

PLU: 8307Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

Some product varieties may not be available at all stores.

Buy ONE (1) Organic Valley® sliced Cheddar or Muenster cheese and get one FREE

PLU: 8309 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

Some product varieties may not be available at all stores.

PLU: 8308Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

Some product varieties may not be available at all stores.

PLU: 8310 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

$1.50 off FOUR (4) Big B’s Famous Organic Lemonades

16 oz bottles

PLU: 8311 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

Does not include speciality coffee drinks.

75¢ off ONE (1) 16 oz jar of Sunland® Natural Valencia

Creamy OR Crunchy Peanut Butter

PLU: 8312 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

50¢ off ONE (1) loaf of Rudi’s Organic Bakery®

Honey Sweet Whole Wheat Bread

PLU: 8313 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

PLU: 8316 Limit one coupon per purchase of specified product(s). Void if altered, transferred, reproduced, exchanged, sold, or purchased. Valid only at La Montañita Co-op locations. Expires August 31, 2009.

FREE COFFEEONE (1) FREE Small Cup of Brewed Coffee with the

purchase of any Breakfast Burrito from the Co-op Deli ($1.39 value)

50¢ off any SIX (6) Brown Cow™ 6 oz Yogurts

Some product varieties may not be available at all stores.

Buy ONE (1) Organic Prairie® sliced Smoked Turkey, Oven Roasted Turkey, Hardwood Smoked Ham, or Canadian Bacon and get one Free

BOGOBuy One, Get One FREE

Expires 8-31-2009 • Redeemable ONLY at La Montañita Co-op locations

Expires 8-31-2009 • Redeemable ONLY at La Montañita Co-op locations

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BOGOBuy One, Get One FREE

“I like school. It’s fun!” –Lizelle, age 6

“Dad makes me celery with crunchy peanut butter for a snack.” –Levi, age 3

“I love arts and crafts. I like to use paper and scissors.” –Julia, age 5

“I love my orange omega gummies. I can’t wait to take my vitamins!” –Lizelle, age 6

“Lemonade tastes good!” –Levi, age 3

“Breakfast burrito for me and coffee for Mom! She says the eggs have omega something.” –Matt, age 13

“Me, I like math best.” –Emily, almost 7

“My favorite snack? Mom makes sandwich squares after school with cheese and tomatoes. I eat the cheese first! ” –Julia, age 5

“Turkey roll-ups are my favorite!” –Lizelle, age 6

“My auntie makes sure I always have clean hands at school.” –Angelina, age 5

“An apple for the teacher a day helps keep the homework away.” –Matt, age 13

“Dad makes the best oatmeal. He puts raisins on top. Yummy!” –Emily, almost 7

The importance of snacking shouldn’t be underestimated. Snacking in moderation supports a healthy diet.

Kids have small bodies with high energy needs. For cell growth and brain development, they need to eat every two to three hours. These just aren’t snacks we’re feeding kids, they’re nutrition boosts to help kids get through the day until they can share a meal with the rest of the family.

Kids need 2-4 servings of fruit each day as an important source of nutrients. Sugars from fruit come with nutrients, but the sugars in cookies and sodas do not.

Kids do need fat. It’s extremely important for growth, brain development. The best fats are monounsaturated fats: olive oil, nuts, avocados. They have the same caloric density as other fats, but they push up good cholesterol while cutting down the bad. Omegas are good too. They benefit the immune system, brain and heart. Flaxseed, coldwater fish and eggs are rich in omegas.

Dr. William Sears, a Capistrano, California-based pediatrician and author says, “Children are born grazers; we try to force them to gorge on three big meals a day, but it’s healthier to snack—as long as it’s not on garbage.”

So what makes a child’s snack healthy? Dr. Sears says to look for the following*:

Satiety factor. Choose snacks with both fiber and protein, which give the feeling of fullness.

Omega-3s. Children are most deficient in this nutrient.

Taste. If it doesn’t taste good, kids won’t eat it.

Missing ingredients. Avoid hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup.

Strive for five. Look for 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of sugar per serving.

Organic. Children (and older adults) have more fragile immune systems that can be weakened by added chemicals.

Here are some healthy snack ideas:Edamame: Find them in the freezer section, steam them in their pods until tender, salt and let your child pop out the beans for munching. Delicious and protein-filled.

Hummus: A fine accessory for raw carrots, celery, lightly steamed broccoli and sugar snap peas.

Apple slices: Spread them with peanut butter for fiber, vitamins, and protein.

Whole grain tortilla chips: Douse them with melted cheese (protein and calcium!) and mild salsa (lycopene! which is an antioxidant!) or guacamole (healthy fats and vitamins!).

Low-fat yogurt: Calcium, protein, acidophilus. Top with granola.

Dried fruit: Offers the crunch of chips with the additive-free nutrients of fresh fruit, and a nice change of textural pace.

Frozen fruit: A frozen fruit salad that will naturally thaw by lunchtime. Use fruits such as frozen organic blackberries, dark sweet cherries, raspberries and strawberries. For an added touch, drizzle fruit with a tablespoon of 100 percent pure maple syrup.

Healthy Beverages: Fill thermoses with organic milk or organic soy milk. Organic fruit drinks such as blueberry, pomegranate, apple or cranberry juice are also healthy alternatives to their counterparts (no refines sugar.) Convenient organic juice pouches are also available and easy to tuck into backpacks.

Healthy Grains: Mix together ready-to eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in sandwich bags for an on-the-go snack.

* Info taken from an article by Anna Soref on http://naturalfoodsmerchandiser.com

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