SPRING SPECIALpleasures of the SEASONBY YASMEEN NAJMI

he time for planting is here and the season forrestoration work in the Rio Grande bosque endingso as to make way for the symphonic convergence, theavian rituals of dating and mating conducted in the

bosque each year. I now spend a portion of each day at the riveror walking the ditches or “acequias” in the Middle Rio GrandeValley. My work often brings me to these beautiful places but I’mthere because I couldn’t imagine life without them.

The irrigation ditches and drains are flowing again. On eveningwalks I’ve begun to see neighbors on tractors or shoveling oldfurrows and turnouts. Fields were transformed from brown togreen within the span of a week but another dry winter has takenits toll. “Ditches are Dusty” could be a new slogan we adopt.Though my jeans too are dusty and my running shoes lost anyhint of color long ago, I never complain. What a rare blessing asan urban dweller to be able to walk on the earth every day!

Everything comes in pairs now. And I’ve learned to look at ourchanging landscape and water supply with a paired vision. Everyacequia I walk has a duck couple claiming their space, headsalternating below the water. Great cottonwoods are a bacchana-lia of grape-like seeds, surrounded by the confetti of the invasiveSiberian elm’s seeds, peppering the water. The first water in theForaker Lateral that runs through my backyard arrived anddeparted before I returned home from work, leaving a muddymap of its travels high in the ditch. Tight water supplies necessi-tate rotating water between ditches and I wonder how the treesand other creatures will adapt and what new plants may appearand thrive with the changes.

When I stepped around the knobby feet of an old cottonwood, Ismiled thinking about visiting my “sweet spots” on a few NorthValley ditches where I plucked pears, jujubes, apples and rosehipsin the late summer. But now, most of the colors on my ditch arethe seemingly constant addition of graffiti from local kids. WhenI feel annoyed I remember that I’m happy that our young peoplestill wander these curves to school and visit friends as they havefor hundreds of years. Certainly they wouldn’t love these placesmore, or perhaps at all, in their absence. I smile again, thinking ofthe day I saw a neighbor pick fruit from one of my trees.

concern, Dr. Forman cited the newly revised Center forDisease Control statistic that 1 in 88 children now suffersome form of autism. Other highlights included Dr. IsaacPessah’s discussion on the links between the antibacterialchemical triclosan and autism, and Dr. Tyronne Hayestalk on the pesticide atrazine and its feminization of malefrogs. With 33 million Americans exposed to atrazine indrinking water and epidemiological studies showing linksbetween prenatal exposures and birth defects, prematurebirths, low birth weight, and increasing infertility, the useof atrazine is clearly of concern for our species as well.And last but not least was Congresswoman Michelle

Lujan Grisham’s passionate retelling of herwork with the Precautionary Principle TaskForce and efforts that resulted in a ban on thepurchase of vaccines containing mercury inNew Mexico.

Without a doubt the most exciting momentscame as scientists and activists came together inworkshops for shared dialogue and relation-ship building, creating a community of con-cerned people that can look to one another forsupport as we meet challenges and work formore protective environmental health policies.

If you missed the opportunity to attend the 31st NationalBeyond Pesticides Forum, many of the keynotes and pan-els are available at www. livestream.tv and on the Co-opand Beyond Pesticides websites at www.lamontanita.coop and www.beyond pestcides.org.

OUR DEEP AND HEARTFELT THANKS go out to all the par-ticipants, the many non-profit co-sponsoring organiza-tions, our friends at Beyond Pesticides and at theUniversity of New Mexico and to all the good folkswho helped provide the opportunity to expand ourknowledge base for the restoration of our environmentand the growth of resilient, healthy families, farms andfood as we face our future together.

REPORTfrom the 31st National Beyond

PESTICIDES ForumBY ROBIN SEYDEL

n April 5 and 6 La Montanita Co-op was honored to bea co-convener of the 31st National Beyond PesticidesForum, along with the University of New Mexico’sSustainability Studies Department and the national non-

profit Beyond Pesticides. Co-sponsored by a host of other dedicatedregional non-profit organizations, the two-day event was a solutionsbased inspiration for both national and local participants. Beginningon Friday afternoon with the food hub tour, through closing sum-mations by Native American Community Academy principal KaraBobroff and Beyond Pesticides Executive Director Jay Feldman, theforum did as promised; provided cutting edge information, artisticinspiration and networking opportunities for scientists and activiststo create a healthier future.

The Friday afternoon food hub tour to two of Agri-CulturaNetwork’s farms, the South Valley Economic Development Center,the Veteran Farmer Project farm and the Co-op’s Distribution Centershowcased our developing food hub that provides fresh food for ourcommunity and our public schools. Next, awarding winning actressKaiulani Lee took the stage for her spell binding portrayal of RachelCarson, after which local farming and community developmentluminaries, Don Bustos, Clayton Brascoupe, Loretta Sandoval andArturo Sandoval discussed projects that are expanding our NewMexican food system.

Saturday morning began with Andrew Kimbrell of the Center forFood Safety reminding us how many times we have stopped orslowed the spread of genetically engineered food and where our ener-gies can best be used in the continuing struggle for GMO- free food.The day continued with a procession of brilliant researchers and ded-icated community activists, with every keynote, panel and workshopso power packed, it is hard to pick out a few of the highlights.

That said, Dr. Joel Forman, of Mount Sinai Hospital MedicalSchool, deserves our deepest thanks for his research that inspired theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to agree that it is best to feedchildren organic food to reduce pediatric cancers and behavioralproblems such as decreased cognitive function. Providing epidemio-logic evidence that demonstrates the links between both acute andchronic early childhood exposures and public health outcomes of

Muddy Water STILL CARRIESTHESKY!

T

O

THANKS TO:MOTHER EARTH for blessing us with a perfectly beautiful day. And our wonderfulCO-OP COMMUNTIY for making the 23rdAnnual Celebrate the Earth Fest the day ofcooperation, peace and love that it was.

See yourself and your friends old andnew in our ON-LINE PHOTO GALLERY at www.lamontanita.coop

See you next year!

the Rio Grande:low and slow

the only constant ischange

At the Rio Grande last month, I walked through alarge opening created by a bosque fire. The groundsputtered and snapped, alerting a crow who trumpetedmy intrusion. At the river’s bank I spotted a lingeringsandhill crane couple wading, still here at the end ofMarch. Two geese surprised the cranes with a noisylanding only a few feet away. The cranes squawkedtheir staccato displeasure for a minute but quicklymoved over and made room.

The Rio Grande has historically been regenerated byspring floods. But while the rushing, high water ofspring signals the spawn, it’s the slow, shallower partsof the river that birth life. The most productive areasare where the river brakes from a jitterbug to a tango.There in the clay I found algae and other plants, tinyfish pulsing in small waves and a library of tracks.There with the quiet water and mind I learned thatmuddy water still carries the sky.

The river stretches across its bed—a blanket trying tocover all of its children. I’m always amazed at how theriver moves around, over and through obstacles withoutcomplaint, but at some point in some places its depthand momentum are too thin and the Rio folds itself intoribbons to continue its journey. The river is not just a lifegiver but a teacher, if you’re willing to observe.

To coin a lowrider phrase, these days the Rio Grandeis “low and slow” and water from snowpack is 30% ofnormal. Farming is a profession defined by uncertain-ty—in crop yield, markets and definitely in MotherNature. But farmers, understandably, want to know atleast a range of possibilities that they can expect for

irrigation water availability. What was a looming, darkbut rainless cloud is now a drought reality. Though wehave experienced severe drought in the history of theMiddle Rio Grande Conservancy District, a diminishingwater supply, above and below ground, coupled with therequirements of endangered species are rapidly evolvingscenarios and require intensive daily communication andcooperation from all. Irrigators will be on strict rotationfor water delivery through their ditchrider while supplieslast. Plans, of course, must have contingencies (what wecall “adaptive management”) for when and if thingschange. And, as New Mexico weather consistentlydemonstrates, the only constant is change. As I writethis, on April 10, I glanced through my office window intime to catch 10 minutes of snow!

We have already seen some of these adaptations in thesmall and larger farms cultivating fruits, vegetables andnuts for local markets, schools and beyond and utilizingcombinations of irrigation technologies and greenhous-es. Many farms are growing the community relation-ships needed for the survival of local agriculture: wel-coming volunteers, training new farmers, a farm campfor kids, farm to table restaurants, CommunitySupported Agriculture (CSAs) and cooperatives, week-end “Bike and Coffee” gatherings and seasonal eventssuch as pumpkin patches and corn mazes. These are justsome of the inspiring stories witnessed in my time here.

The Rio Grande is always flowing even when absent fromour limited, human senses. The question is will we alsohave a river?

YASMEEN NAJMI is a Planner with the Middle RioGrande Conservancy District, a poet and member ofLa Montanita Co-op.

EEAARRTTHH DDAAYYTTHHAANNKKSS!!

spring happenings May 2013 2

La Montanita CooperativeA Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Co-op Connection Staff:• Managing Editor: Robin Seydelrobins@lamontanita.coop 217-2027• Layout and Design: foxyrock inc• Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept.• Advertising: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher • Editorial Assistant: Sarah Wentzel-Fisher sarahwf@lamontanita.coop 217-2016• Printing: Vanguard Press

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

Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coopCopyright ©2013La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycled

AALLEERRTT

Brad will present his work to the Albuquerque community in aFREE lecture on Friday, June 7, from 6-8pm in the George PearlHall, on UNM Campus. His engaging, entertaining and informative

speaking and teaching styles have resulted ininterviews with National Public Radio, NewDimensions, and Natural Home and Garden,along with presentations and workshops forthe Bioneers Convergence, the GreenFestival, the Texas Natural Building Collo-quium, the New Mexico Xeriscape Con-ference, numerous organic farming confer-ences, for the US State Department in theMiddle East and more.

On Sunday, June 9, Brad will lead a hands-on workshop from 10am to 4pm at Kalyx

Studio Learning Center in Albuquerque’s South Valley. In this work-shop, earthworks will be implemented to improve the efficiency ofgardening within the acequia system, while demonstrating strategiesthat can also be used when harvesting other water sources in thelandscape including rainwater and grey water. Sign up early as spaceis limited; lunch provided!

For more information about the event, go to www.erdagardens.org or contact Amanda at info@erdagardens.org. Forinformation on the Sunday, June 9, workshop, contact Leslie at]info@kalyxstudio.com.

ALBUQUERQUE /JUNE 7BY AMANDA RICH, ERDA GARDENS

Brad Lancaster is the author of the best-selling, award-winning books RainwaterHarvesting for Drylands and Beyond,

Volumes 1 and 2, and creator of the information-packed www.harvestingrainwater.com. He is apermaculture teacher, designer, consultant and co-founder of Desert Harvesters (www.desertharvesters.org). Brad practices what he preaches, har-vesting over 100,000 gallons of rainwater a yearoff an eighth of an acre in downtown Tucson,Arizona, where rainfall is less than 12 inchesannually.

Instead of diverting rainwater off their property and intostorm drains, Brad and his brother Rodd have created anoasis in the desert by incorporating rainwater into livingair conditioners of food-bearing shade trees, abundantgardens, and a thriving landscape that includes habitatfor wildlife. Through creating this living example andgiving dynamic public talks and countless hands-onworkshops, Brad has inspired thousands of citizens andnumerous businesses in Tucson and across the nation toharvest water and sustainably grow their local resources.

May 22Edible City takes viewers on a fast and fun jour-ney through the local urban farming movement.Following farmers, cooks and activists, the conver-sion of empty lots into organic gardens is a naturaland practical response not only to Big Ag but also tourban problems like food scarcity and obesity. “Wehave been eating oil for 40 years.”Chemicals, fertiliz-ers and pesticides have given us more food, but atwhat price? Food issues ranging from obesity to foodcosts and shortages are escalating in the US.

Edible City tells the stories of the pioneers who are diggingtheir hands into the dirt, working to transform their com-munities and do something truly revolutionary: grow localgood food systems that are socially just, environmentallysound, economically viable and resilient to climate changeand market collapse.

Highlighting the success of a San Francisco Bay Area neighbor-hood that grows organic food on city plots to benefit local inhabi-

tants, Edible City is an inspiring, practicalmodel for a healthy, local food system thatis environmentally sound and cost effective;Edible City is a must for fresh food lovers.

Catch Edible City at the Santa Fe Farmers’Market Pavilion at 7pm on Wednesday,May 22. This is the last in the spring movieseries. Admission benefits the Santa FeFarmers’ Market Institute work to supportlocal farmers and the local food system.

The movies are free for students under 18 and Farmers’ MarketVendors. Become an Institute Member the night of, and receive animmediate discount. For more info contact them at: 505-983-7726, info@farmersmarketinstitute.org go to www.farmersmarketinstitute.org.

MARKETINSTITUTEMOVIE seriesEDIBLEEDIBLECITY

santa fe farmers’

FOREST SERVICE’S JEMEZ PLAN:A PUBLIC CRY FOR RESTORATION

BRAD LANCASTER: HANDS-ONWATER HARVESTINGWORKSHOP

In an era of global warming, releasing that much carbon intothe atmosphere is unthinkable. Trees sequester CO2, toxins,mercury and radionuclides, all of which will be released bythese fires. Many scientists say one-fourth of global warming

is due to deforestation.

Fire ecologists such as William Lawrence Baker statethat the benefits of prescribed burning are unproven andlikely counterproductive; that forests that have burnedonce are more, not less, likely to burn again; and thatforest fires correlate with drought, not fuels. This planwill kill untold thousands of animals and destroy entirecommunities of plants, animals, and birds that evolvedunder a dense forest canopy.

ACTION ALERT: WHAT TO DO!Fire experts around the world recommend better waysto manage our forests: • Keep trees 16" diameter and larger. • Have local cooperatives harvest small trees. • Create space free of flammable materials around buildings. • Do not set fires, particularly during a drought.

Call our state and federal legislators and ask that theyINTERVENE ON BEHALF OF OUR FORESTED ECO-SYSTEM.Call NM State Senator, Peter Wirth, 505-988-1668, USRepresentative Ben Ray Lujan, 505-984-8950, and US SenatorTom Udall, 505-988-6511. More information go to: OnceAForest.org or call 466-4625.

BY JAN BOYER

We hope everyone will read the Forest Service’sSouthwest Jemez Mountains Restoration Project planthat is available at: tinyurl.com/swjproject. While the plan

claims "Restoration," many people feel thatthe project will turn 210,000 acres of forestinto meadows. Although telling the publicthat they will clean out brush and smalltrees to prevent fires, Bill Armstrong, fuelspecialist for the Santa Fe National Forest,was quoted in the July 2, 2012, NewMexican as saying “We’re going to get ridof about 95% of the Ponderosas."

This massive project also includes exten-sive herbicide applications, commerciallogging, and burning 166,543 acres of forest. The forest service isrequesting "amendments" to existing regulations to carry out thisplan. Prescribed burning has a very high risk of causing cata-strophic fires. No New Mexican can forget the Cerro Grande Fire.

The Forest Service starts burns with helicopter ignition, droppingpotassium permanganate, which is toxic. Dropping it over an areathis large would contaminate a huge area of land and watershedswith 5.5 tons of a neurotoxin. The Federal Material Safety DataSheet LA2887 states potassium permanganate "causes central nerv-ous system impairment," and states "prevent from entering sewers,waterways, or low areas."

ACTION

spring happenings May 2013 3

CROSSROADS is this month’s

During this period Elizabeth and her law partner, Susan Tomita,were talking about how they could fulfill their sense of purpose inimproving the lives of those less fortunate. About that time,Elizabeth had a large case settle and Susan brought a steady incomeinto the partnership and they jointly decided to set aside enough to

get the non-profit started.

They soon realized that “wrap aroundservices” in a nurturing, supportive andrespectful environment were essential. By2002 HUD funds became available so thatCRFW could provide independent apart-ments in the community for 20 to 25homeless women and their children.Counseling and life skills education beganwith a grant from United Way, andCrossroads began a life skills program inthe detention center.

By 2003 they expanded the day treatment program dramatically,adding broader counseling services for client groups and individuals,vocational assistance and therapeutic social activities for the womenand their children, as well as after-care. Then in 2005 they instituteda new program for women exiting incarceration; a 12-bed congre-gate living site called Maya’s Place. Parenting education was imple-mented at Crossroads and Maya’s Place.

CROSSROADS FOR WOMEN is a small non-profit that dependson community support and volunteers. To volunteer, get moreinformation about their admissions process or to make adonation, contact them at info@crossroadsabq.org or call 505-242-1010.

Crossroads for Women (CRFW) provides compre-hensive, integrated services to support womenworking to break the cycle of homelessness and

incarceration and achieve healthy, stable and self-sufficientlives for themselves and their children. As a transition pro-gram for homeless women with co-occurringaddictive and mental health disorders, CRFWprovides programming in the local jail andworks closely with women reintegrating intothe community after incarcerations.

At the Crossroads community, 30 women areprovided with apartments for themselves andtheir children. Another 12 women reside in anurturing group setting called Maya’s Place.Support services include intensive case manage-ment, therapeutic day program, counseling, par-enting assistance, vocational services andhealthy community activities.

Elizabeth Simpson founded CRFW in 1997 with an originaldonation of $75,000 while working on a class action caseagainst the jail and trying to improve conditions for theinmates, particularly women with mental illness. Elizabethsays, “Lawsuits have great power to effect change, but theyhave limitations too. We were, in fact, making great changesin mental health services, but one couldn’t help but noticethat the same people would show up in jail over and over.This seemed to be particularly true of women, some of whomhad over a hundred bookings, frequently for minor offensessuch as littering and public nuisance. We were improvingconditions for them in the jail, but they were being turnedout to the streets with no chance of making a new life—noshelter, no job, no mental health care, no support.”

BAGCREDIT

BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME,it all ADDS ADDS UP!MAY BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TOCROSSROADS FOR WOMEN:Providing integrated services to women to break the cycleof mental illness, homelessness and incarceration forhealthy, stable and self-sufficient lives for themselves andtheir children.

Your March Bag Credit donations totaling $2,084.92were given to Rio Grande Community Farm. Thanksto ALL of you who donated!

DONATEEyour BAG CCRREEDDIITT!donate

THEDIME!

CROSSROADS FOR WOMEN: NEW DIRECTIONS

BY SARAH WENTZEL-FISHER

A ccording to the City of Albuquerque website, oursunny city features more than 400 miles of on-streetbicycle facilities and multi-

use trails. Santa Fe offers an amazingnetwork of trails along arroyos that leadto the heart of the city. And, a numberof bike organizations throughout thestate host bike tours through many ofour state’s most magnificent landscapes.While we’re blessed with a climate con-ducive to riding a bike most days of theyear, warm weather should inspire youto lube your chain, fill your tires and hitthe trail.

The basics of going for a long bike ride in New Mexico are reallynot so different than other places—except for goat heads. If youmake sure your bike is tuned-up, you carry some basic safetyequipment and pack snacks, you’re prepped for an enjoyable ride.

Test your bike before you go for a long ride. First and foremost,fully inflate your tires. Use a pump with a pressure gauge and makesure you’ve filled them to the recommended PSI. Even the cleanesturban trails can host a variety of sharp objects to leave you with aflat. Get puncture proof tubes, slime your tubes, and carry a spareor a patch kit to ensure you’re not hiking home.

Our dry climate means your bike parts need regular lubrication.Stop at your neighborhood bike shop and pick up a bottle of whatthey recommend—they may suggest different products based onhow and where you ride your bike. Further, more than your chainneeds to be greased. Your cables and drivetrain should be lubricat-ed. Your bike shouldn’t squeak—if it does and a little lube doesn’tsolve the problem, ask for help! In addition to several bike shops

in nearly every neighborhood in the city, a number of goodbike mechanics offer house calls or bike pick-up.

An annual tune-up for your bike is a great idea. Regular main-tenance like inflating your tires and greasing your chain helpkeep your bike in good working order, but a more thoroughtune-up will ensure you can ride your bike for years to come. Agood tune-up will assess the condition of your brakes, cables,hubs, wheels and any fasteners, and replace or repair any worn

or broken parts. Additionally, it should adjust yourbrake and drivetrain systems, true your wheels, andcompletely grease all parts that need lubrication. Besure to ask questions about what a tune-up includesbecause most shops offer varying levels of service.

Riding your bike can be fun, but it also can be danger-ous. Be sure you have appropriate safety equipment—first, wear your helmet correctly, second make sure youhave lights and reflectors, third anything you can do tohelp drivers see you increases your safety. If you rideyour bike on the street, it may be hard for even the mostobservant driver to see you. The recommended strategy

for riding in the street is to obey the rules of the road. Alwaysride with the traffic, stay off sidewalks, stop for red lights, stopat stop signs, and obey all other traffic signs. Even if it seemslike there's no compelling reason for you to stop, motorists willgive you more respect if they see you obeying the rules.

Finally, and perhaps most important, have fun! Biking is anamazing way to experience New Mexico landscapes in a moreimmediate and intimate way. You will be able to travel dis-tances comparable to a car on paths where cars are not per-mitted. You will be able to see details in the plants, geology,typography and ecology invisible at typical car speeds. The fol-lowing sites offer other great suggestions on bike safety andmaintenance, where to ride and group tours if you’re interestedin going the distance!

MORE INFO: www.bikeabq.orgwww.bikesantafe.org www.bikehubnm.com

www.nmcycling.org; www.nmts.org

BIKING into

SUMMER

MMOOVVIINNGGFFOORRWWAARRDD

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

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

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

DDOONNAATTIIOONN OORRGGAANNIIZZAATTIIOONN

with UncleDaveBY DAVE FORMAN, REWILDING INSTITUTE

W ilderness gives wilderness deconstruction-ists sundry headaches. One of the worst ishow wilderness seems to put down living things

planted in gardens. If I may toss about a word I loathe, we“wilderfolk” are thought to privilege trees and other wortsplanted by wild ecosystems over those planted by Homosapiens in gardens. We are thus chided for stamping a dual-ism (always an awful deed) over wildernesses and gardens.

To wit: In 1995, William Cronon wrote:“We must abandon the dualism that sees the tree in the garden as arti-ficial—completely fallen and unnatural—and the tree in the wildernessas natural—completely pristine and wild. Both trees in some ultimatesense are wild…”

First of all, I know of no one who says that a garden tree is wholly “fall-en and unnatural” and a wilderness tree is thoroughly “pristine andwild.” This is make-believe. Nonetheless, the trees are unalike down totheir roots in dirt and being. To think both are wild is to show a mis-understanding of what wild is. One could also say that a gorilla in itsconcrete and steel-bar zoo cage and a gorilla foraging for wild celery onthe slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes are both “ultimately wild.” Or thata battery hen in a coop so tiny she cannot turn around and a free-flyinggyrfalcon in the Brooks Range are both wild.

Here we come to befuddlement between wild and biological. Biology isfound in our bodies, in the battery hen, in the garden tree. Biologycomes with being alive. Life is biology. Wild splits away from biologicalin at least two ways. The first is that wild things are free of Man’s will;they are self-willed. They are not in a cage or a zoo cell; neither are theyhighly bred fruit trees planted by Man in a garden. Second, wildness is

spring pleasures! May 2013 4

the whole wild neighborhood. A mountain lion inthe Gila Wilderness is more than itself: it is a tan-gled bundle with everything near it.

A 400-year-old Douglas-fir in an old-growth forestis more than itself since it is caught up with every-thing about it, from the mycorrhizal fungi in thedamp, dank, dark forest floor to the spotted owl inits limbs to the winter rains of the PacificNorthwest. The Doug-fir in the big wildwood is asplinter of a mostly self-willed neighborhood. Thegarden tree is a sprout in a Man-willed neighbor-hood. There is an unlikeness—and the unlikenessis wild.

This said, let me acknowledge that I spend time inmy backyard of four espaliered apple trees, a peachtree, four cherry trees, a plum tree, an apricot tree,grape vines, daffodils, tulips… a calico cat, a graytabby, and a fluffy black cat. As I type this, I havedirt under my fingernails from pulling up grassamong my tulips and the calico cat is on my lap.

THE DUALITY OF GARDEN AND WILDERNESS

also reach the bosque at several points along TingleyDrive. On the west side of the river, the Open Space

Visitor Center, located at 6500 Coors Rd. NW,87120, offers access to a series of beautiful,shaded trails that lead to stunning views of theRio Grande and Sandia Mountains.

The Sandia Foothills Open Space consists ofabout 2,650 acres of piñon-juniper woodlandat the base of the Sandia Mountains. The ElenaGallegos/Albert G. Simms Park, south ofAcademy and east of Tramway, is a populardestination for hikers, mountain bikers andhorseback riders who wish to explore theextensive Foothills trail system. On the north

side of the picnic area is the Cottonwood Springs Trail,a wheelchair accessible trail that ends at a wetland andwildlife blind. The Sandia Foothills have additionalparking areas and trailheads located east of Tramwayfrom Copper north to Candelaria Road.

FOR A COMPLETE LIST of Albuquerque OpenSpace trails and trail maps, check out www.cabq.gov/openspace. Trail maps are also avail-able at the Open Space Visitor Center and atmany local bike shops.

TWO EVENTSHELP PROTECT YOUR FAVORITE OPEN SPACE!Each spring and summer the Open Space Division,along with our non-profit partner the Open SpaceAlliance, REI and other local organizations, host twovolunteer events that honor and protect our city’snatural places.

BY KENT SWANSON, CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE OPEN

SPACE DIVISION

W ithin and around our rapidly grow-ing desert city we are blessed withover 29,000 acres of Major Public

Open Space. The City of Albuquerque OpenSpace Division, part of Parks and Recreation, isthe agency charged with caring for these specialplaces. The Open Space system includes nearly100 miles of multi-use trails that provide opportu-nities for low impact recreation including hiking,mountain biking and horseback riding. OpenSpace trails vary widely in terrain and offer access to some of the mostunique scenery in and around Albuquerque. Citizens can find Open Spacetrails in the Sandia Foothills, the east side of the Sandia Mountains,Sandoval County, in Albuquerque's riverside cottonwood bosque, and onthe West Mesa. Some of the most visited places in the Open Space systeminclude the Rio Grande Valley State Park (RGVSP) and the Sandia FoothillsOpen Space.

The RGVSP is a 4,300-acre green ribbon of cottonwood forest which extendsfrom Sandia Pueblo in the north through Albuquerque and south to IsletaPueblo. Popular trail access points on the east side of the Rio Grande includethe Alameda/Bachechi Open Space, the Rio del Norte Picnic Area at theCentral Avenue Bridge, and the Rio Bravo Riverside Picnic Area. You may

Wilderness, no. A garden, yes. Do I like it? You bet Ido! But I do not play a mind-game that it is wilderness,nor do I have even an inkling that thanks to it, I canlive without wilderness. I love my old cats prowlingthe garden, but I need mountain lions prowling thewilderness, too. Mountain lions cannot live in gar-dens! Like all my friends, I blend wilderness and civi-lization in my own life.

But what of wildness and wilderness? Our old Concordteacher, Henry Thoreau, said, “In wildness is thepreservation of the world.” True, so true. But a deepertruth is that in “Wilderness Areas” is the preservationof wildness. Wildness cannot be without land or sea.Wilderness is stead; self-willed land. The home of wild-ness! Moreover, in this sad day and age, unwardedwildness likely will not last for long. To keep wildness,we need wild havens (protected areas)—the tougher thebetter, such as Wilderness Areas.

For indoor thinkers, wildness can be a Platonicabstraction, an “essence” like “treeness,” but wilder-ness is down to Earth—like big woods and slickrockslots. Wilderness deconstructionists like intellectualabstraction, but they shy from true being; I think theywould rather play with essence not hardness. PaulShepard warned, “The garden is abstracted from theworld as a whole.”

And thereby, although alive, it is not wild.

This article is drawn from Dave’s forthcoming book,True Wilderness. Dave Foreman is executive directorof The Rewilding Institute, a non-profit conservationorganization based in Albuquerque, NM.

Please visit www.rewilding.org to purchase a copy ofMan Swarm and the Killing of Wildlife, see a list ofbooks for sale, or make a donation. Subscribe toDave Foreman's "Around the Campfire" columnby contacting rewilding@earthlink.net.

National River Clean Up WHEN: Saturday, May 11 from 8am to 1pm.WHAT: During this one-day event volunteers helpremove trash from the Rio Grande and its bosque.Kirtland Outdoor Recreation provides a limitednumber of spaces on guided rafts to help cleantrash from the river. For more details see www.cabq.gov/openspace. WHERE: Volunteers willmeet on the northeast side of the Rio Grande off ofthe Central Avenue Bridge and Tingley Drive.

The event is free. All volunteers must register withREI at www.rei.com/ albuquerque or by calling247-1191. All River Cleanup volunteers are treat-ed to morning refreshments, a door prize drawingand a free after event picnic. Please carpool!

National Trails DayWHEN: June 1 from 8am until 1pm. WHERE:The Elena Gallegos/Albert G. Simms Park in theSandia Foothills. Elena Gallegos is located east ofTramway just north of Academy. WHAT: Vol-unteers work on over 10 different projects in theSandia Foothills Open Space trail systems, includ-ing vegetation restoration, trash removal and trailmaintenance.

The event is free. Registration is required. To regis-ter see www.rei.com/albuquerque, call 247-1191or stop by the store located at 1550 MercantileAve. (I-25 and Montano). The first 100 people toregister for NTD will receive a free T-shirt!

FOR MORE INFORMATION on other volunteeropportunities with Open Space, call 505-452-5200 or visit www.cabq.gov/openspace.

AROUND THECCCCAAAAMMMMPPPPFFFFIIIIRRRREEEE

OF RIVERS AND TRAILS: ENJOY AND PROTECTALBUQUERQUE’S NATURALPLACES

Here in our high desert environment river-ine habitat and wetlands make up lessthan 1% of New Mexico’s landscape. Ex-plore some of the finest remaining river coun-try in the state with guides from the NewMexico Wilderness Alliance. This sometimesstrenuous hike will take us to the Lower SanFrancisco River where it winds its way througha critical wilderness study area. With its tower-ing cliff walls, hot springs, ancient narrow-leaf

and Fremont cottonwoods and native walnutand giant Arizona sycamore trees, this rivercorridor is home to a remarkable diversity ofbirds, fish and mammals. With a little luck par-ticipants just might see black hawks, endan-gered loach minnows and beavers, as well asbear and coyote tracks and scat. Be sure tobring your “river legs!” Hiking time: 5-6hours, including lunch break. For info: www.nmwild.org or email: nmwa@nmwild.org toregister for the hike.

NM WILDERNESSALLIANCE: RRIIVVEERR HHIIKKEE!!San Francisco River Hike/May 4

A wholeWILD

neighborhood

But I think we can all agree that, like our parents,we are all working with what we've got and tryingour best. And beyond cooking only organic food,grinding our own wheat or butchering our own100% grass-fed animals, what we ultimately wantis for our kids to understand the importance ofwhere our food comes from and have a healthy rela-tionship with that food. And that's a long game.Your occasional fast food run still has a place (if it'struly occasional). And that time you were exhaust-ed so you put together a dinner of macaroni andcheese won't ruin the kids.

In this long game, ultimately our children will maketheir own choices and we can only do our bestalong the way, setting the best example we can. Wecan't make choices for them and we can't changethem. But we can look at our own actions andwords right now because THOSE we can change, ifwe need to.

DO my kids see food in its real, whole food form?AM I a gracious guest when eating with others?DO I let the kids choose meals or go shopping withme and choose foods?

mother’s day special May 2013 5

BY AMYLEE UDELL

Some of us grew up listening to our moth-ers criticize their appearance, shape andsize. Often this went with listening to what

foods were good, bad, slimming or fattening. Forsome this extended to concerns from mom aboutour own shape and size and eating. Others hadmoms that fed them whenever comfort was needed,the day was hard or we just looked like we neededit. Food was equated with love. Some of us hadmoms who embraced the technological advancesthat allowed us to spend less time in the kitchen,from appliances to TV dinners to boxed mixes tofast food. Others of us had moms with rigid foodrules, sometimes adopted in the best interest ofhealth and sometimes not.

Whatever your personal food history, one thing wecan probably now see as adults is that our parents(I'll be using mothers in this article since it's May,but I mean any mother, father, grandparent or par-ent-figure who influenced us in this way) most like-ly had our best interests at heart. Almost all of ourmoms fed themselves, us and our families in thebest way they could, given their budgets and livesat the time. And isn't that what you are doing forYOUR family?

Another way mother-guilt can seep in is in how wefeed our families. Are your kids picky eaters?Addicted to sugar? Afraid of new foods? On a strictdiet of macaroni and cheese—ONLY? Do you wishyou could feed them more organic food? Grow yourOWN food? Do it all and do it better? Of course!Because we want the best for our families. And whenour kids spit out lumpy foods, reject anything green,beg (and beg and beg) for chicken nuggets, or recitethe Wendy's menu by heart, people look at MOM.

NOURISHING OUR CHILDREN

DO I make foods others like even if I don't like those dishes?DO I really savor my food?DO I serve all foods on our table without judgement or comment?DO I try at least a bite of a new food before I say "no thanks?"

DO I eat absentmindedly?DO I partake of the occasional treat without guilt?DO I sulk if my favorite foods aren't served?AM I afraid of some foods?DO I lament the quality of our food or my cooking?DO I criticize my body in front of the kids?DO I criticize OTHERS' bodies?DO I have the kids help me make meals?

Motherhood means emotionally and physically nourishingour children. Isn't it amazing that we are designed to feed ourbabies with our own bodies? Love DOES equal food! Nursingbabies gives them the perfect nutritional food, the physicalbonding and emotional comfort along with a full tummy.After that, things can get more complicated. But motherhood

teaches us that though our resources (physical, emotional, financial, situ-ational) may be limited, our love is not. We will do our best for our chil-dren and amaze ourselves with our creativity in loving the family we cre-ated, found or received. Whether in food or any other area, we will strug-gle with our own selves to make things better for our kids and those chal-lenges will ultimately make ALL of us better!

AMYLEE UDELL is a mother to three and owner of www.Inspired ABQ.com, offering pregnancy and parenting support toAlbuquerque. Her days are spent trying to offer the best emo-tional and physical nutrition to her family. Check out www.facebook.com/inspiredbirth.

ON MOTHERHOOD and

FOOD

FLOWERS FOR MOM! GET FAIR TRADE FLOWERS at your favorite CO-OP!Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th

Come check usout and see what

we’re about!

never exist. Cooperatives also insist upon policiesthat affect entire communities. It is a duty of a co-op to enhance the community, listen to the voices oftheir members, and to encourage and help other

cooperatives. By supporting a common goal, and acommon interest in the needs of a community,cooperatives can flourish in the long term. Statisticsback this pattern of cooperative vitality. In the arti-cle “The Economy Under New Ownership,”Marjorie Kelly examines how co-ops help nurturelocal economies. For example, as the article states,every $1,000 spent at a local food co-op means$1,606 for the local economy, which is 17% moremoney that stays within the local economy. Thatfigure is shocking, considering how many of ourdollars we throw away to huge corporations onbasic, yet crucial purchases every day. Cooperatives

have even proved a means of salvation in manycommunities, such as Chicago, and in a time ofeconomic peril when we need solutions. In Chicago,when 250 workers of a window company were

fired, author Laura Flanders, of “ChicagoFactory Workers to the Rescue,” looks at howthey made a comeback. They decided to forma workers’ cooperative, where not just profitswould be sustained, but the people as well.

I hope to direct this newfound energy into apotential cooperative project of my own. Iwould like to build a small army of like-mind-ed folk, and invest our interests into the foun-dation of a cooperative; where we will be ourown bosses, where we will pay fair wages andbenefits, all while enhancing our community.We will do this all through the distribution of

sustainable bicycles.

Bikes, being my sustainable weapon of choice, tocombat the gas-guzzling dependency we know sowell. To build bikes with more sustainable re-sources, and sell them at fair prices to the commu-nity would help create a bike revolution! Bikestransmit the cause of sustainability but are current-ly manufactured in unsustainable ways. By usingmore renewable resources, such as bamboo, thiscooperative will reinstate the purpose of the bicy-cle. Using a cooperative model, we can makebikes available to the entire community!

BY MARSHALL KOVITZ

For the past two semesters UNM’s Sustainability Programhas offered an introductory course in co-operatives withassistance from La Montanita’s staff and board. The board invit-ed class members to write a paper explaining how the coursework has impacted their lives, offering to publish what boardmembers thought was the best article. Of the many fine submis-sions, we chose this one.

SUSTAINABLE CYCLINGBY KARA WILLARD

Cooperatives have the potential to mend some of the finan-cial and social hindrances born of capitalism and “powerequates money” ideals that this generation currently stares

in the face. Enrolled in the Sustainability Studies Program atUNM, and a lucky participant of a revolutionary course, “Co-opsRock!,” I have become engrossed by the cooperative movement.

Raised in a time where money seems to be the measure of our humancapacity, and business degrees seem to be the most promising form ofeducation, it is imperative we find ways to combine profit with theneeds of the people; and in ways to ensure long-term and sustainablepractices. Why rely on shareholders, when you can rely on the employ-ees themselves? Do away with hierarchal structure in the workplace,questionable stratification of wages from CEO to lower-level employ-ees, and the threatened and shrinking employee benefits. The inherentprinciples of cooperatives demand democracy the way it used to be, byone member-one vote policies, rather than “more money-louder voice”patterns we acknowledge from the monopolies that we swore would

CO-OPBOARDREPORT

SUSTAINABLE CYCLINGco-op news May 2013 6

membership isOOWWNNEERRSSHHIIPP!!

APPLEGATE SLICED MEASLICED MEATS!TS!Clean, Humane, Healthy

Applegate has strict standards for humane treat-ment of all the animals raised for their productsincluding the following (from the Applegatewebsite, www.applegate.com).

• Allowing animals to exercise their naturalbehaviors and instincts. No crates or cages. • Raising animals with sufficient space andshelter against the elements. • Handling animals gently and respectfully. • Providing animals with a continuous supplyof fresh water and a healthy diet without addedantibiotics or hormones. • Applegate developed their own unique animalwelfare standards. You can see this on the“Humanely Raised” statement on their packag-

ing. The standards have been developed (for pork, beefand poultry) with strict requirements that are verifiedthrough third party audits and also by internal welfarespecialists at Applegate.

If you are a meat eater, you’ve probably enjoyed some of theApplegate Farms products we carry in our meat departments.Founder and CEO Stephen McDonnell start-

ed the company 25 years ago buying JugtownSmokehouse. Growing the business over theyears, Applegate now sources from over 1,000family farms that humanely raise animals foreverything from bacon and sausage to sliced deliand fine cured meats.

All Applegate products are made from animalsthat have been humanely raised on farms in geo-graphically diverse areas to reduce the risk ofspreading disease. Further, all manure from these farms is composted,rather than disposed of in lagoons that can contaminate surface watersources with E. coli and other bacteria. Applegate requires that the ani-mals they source be fed exclusively vegetarian food and are never fed ani-mal by-products.

perfect PICNIC FOOD

Standards include “humanely raised on familyfarms in an environment that promotes naturalbehavior of the animals with more room to moveabout freely.” They follow humane slaughterpractices as suggested by Dr. Temple Grandin.

When Applegate processes their meats they neveradd nitrites or nitrates, artificial ingredients, orother fillers commonly found in conventional delimeats and sausages.

For those who love a classic deli-style sandwich, alittle bacon in their breakfast or sausages for thefirst patio parties of spring, Applegate is a healthyand humane choice. If you’d like to learn moreabout Applegate, their farmers, recipes withtheir ingredients and other educational mate-rials, visit www.applegate.com.

Co-op members are leaders in the local foodmovement because they have made the connectionthat local food isn’t just about healthy food. It isabout all the issues tied to local food includingenergy, environment, food security, food justice,

biodiversity and marketplace values. Theseare the issues that Ackerman-Leist discussesin his book as well as exploring the waysthat we can build these new foodshedsthrough collaborations. Luckily, the Co-op isa leader in the area with the DistributionCenter and the LaM Fund to help localfarmers increase their ability to grow andprocess more local food.

Ultimately, as Ackerman-Leist points out,we need to think beyond the local foodshed

as a “dot” within a radius (i.e., Albuquerque andthe surrounding 300 miles as the foodshed).Rather we must think like an ecosystem and con-sider the flows and relationships. “Recognizingthe flows that we call community, commerce andecology ensures that we avoid the illusory islandeffect of a completely independent local food sys-tem—an illusion that ultimately leaves us strand-ed and less enriched.” He suggests we have, in ourconversation about local food, created four falsedivides we need to bridge: Urban/Rural, SmallScale/Large Scale, Local/International, and All/Nothing. It is in creating “just” relations that wecan bridge these divides.

It can sometimes seem like a daunting task tohelp rebuild a foodshed. The key is to remem-ber each decision is one step and by workingtogether we will accomplish the intended out-come as we build community and connection.

BY ANN ADAMS, HOLISTIC

MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL

If you shop at La Montanita Co-op and read the Co-op News,then I assume you have a vested

interest in building a local foodshedin New Mexico. Shopping at the Co-op is a big piece of the puzzle, but ifyou want to dive in deeper, a goodresource is a new book, Rebuildingthe Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable, andSecure Food Systems by Philip Ackerman-Leist. This bookis part of the Post Carbon Institute’s CommunityResilience Guide series and is published by Chelsea Green.The book starts out with a quote from Thomas Paine’sCommon Sense: “A long habit of not thinking a thingwrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, andraises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.”

While I think we are long past the point of defending largeagribusiness as the solution to feeding the world healthyfood, we are still struggling to figure out how to make alocal food system that can feed more of the local populationfor more of the year. Rebuilding the Foodshed talks aboutsome of those strategies and key tactics necessary to get usthere. Ultimately, though, it is the consumer that will drivethis process through the law of supply and demand. If moreconsumers are willing to pay the price for local (not justorganic from California or Mexico) as we build systems andeconomies of scale, then more producers will step up to sup-ply that demand.

BUILDING THE LOCAL

FOODSHED

ourffuuttuurree

FOR A HEALTHYLUNCH

co-op news May 2013 7

IJUST READ THE MARCH JOB REPORT; itreported few jobs have been created, the weakestjob report since June 2012. I’m happy to report

your Co-op is not following this trend.Our new store on the Westside will becreating jobs and providing opportunitiesnot only for our existing staff but forthose who are seeking employment. Wehave already filled several positions.

Mark Lane will be the Store Team Leaderfor the Westside location. Mark has beenserving as the Store Team Leader of ourNob Hill store and was looking for a new challengeand the experience of opening a new store. We arethrilled Mark has stepped up and taken this role.

Joseph Phy will be our Assistant Store Team Leader.Joe is one of our rising stars; although young in age,Joe has proven his leadership and operational skills.Joe currently works at our Rio Grande location asthe Department Team Leader of Grocery, Dairy andFrozen departments.

Valerie Smith will be our next Store Team Leader atour Nob Hill store. Valerie has worked at La

Montanita for many years; she has worked as aDepartment Team Leader at our Rio Grande store,Executive Director of the Mobile Grocery project

with which we partner, and mostrecently as a buyer at our Cooper-ative Distribution Center.

Although not related to the Westsidestore location, Michael Smith hasassumed the role as Store TeamLeader at our Gallup store. Michaelhas worked at the Gallup locationfor several years, is involved in the

Gallup community, and is a great fit for our store.We have also added staff in Gallup since Michaelhas become the Store Team Leader.

There will be many more staff positions to fill as wemove forward; this is just another example of whythe co-op business model is superior to the tradi-tional model that has put us in this sad situation.

THANKS for your support of La Montanita, ourcommunity owned cooperative. If you ever needto contact me please call 505-217-2020 or email: terryb@lamontanita.coop. -TERRY

CREATING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THE INSIDE SCOOP

BY ANN ADAMS

La Montanita was a key sponsor for the March8 Empowering Women in Agriculture seminarfacilitated by Holistic Management International

(HMI). This event took place at the Mid-Region Councilof Governments building in Albuquerque. The eventwas funded through a National Center for AppropriateTechnology (NCAT) grant which was funded by theUSDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). Sixty partic-ipants attended this seminar and 83% were beginningfarmers managing a total of over 4,000 acres in NewMexico. Evaluations showed that the participants foundthe seminar very educational with participants noting

an average of a 90% increase in knowledge about riskassessment, improving profit, ability to analyze enter-prises, and the value of enterprise analysis; 87% of theparticipants said they would now do a written enter-prise analysis as a result of the seminar.

The seminar started with Holistic ManagementCertified Educator, Peggy Maddox, describing howHolistic Financial Planning saved the Maddox Ranch.This was followed by a hands-on workshop on how tocreate profit in farming enterprises led by HolisticManagement Certified Educator Ann Adams. Par-ticipants got first-hand knowledge of how to manage

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN

AGRICULTURE A SEMINAR

financial risk and then broke into small groups to complete a financialplanning exercise. After lunch (provided by La Montanita) everyoneenjoyed a panel discussion and Q&A session with local women producers,including Joan Bybee of Mesteno Draw Ranch, Dory Wegrzyn of RedTractor Farm, and Nolina Bryant of Nolina’s Heavenly Organics. NCATSustainable Agriculture Specialist, Robert Maggiani, also gave a presenta-tion on the Top Ten Resources Women Farmers and Ranchers Never Use.

THANKS TO THE PROGRAM SPONSORS FOR THIS EVENT: WellsFargo, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Rocky Mountain FarmersUnion, Java Joe’s and New Mexico Mid-Region Council ofGovernments Agricultural Collaborative.

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

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

democratically-controlled enterprise.

5/14 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

5/20 BOD Member EngagementMeeting, Admin. offices, 5:30pm

5/25 Santa Fe Co-op, BBQ and Fundraiser11am-1pm

MayCalendarof Events

W O M E N I N A G R I C U LT U R EINCREASED KNOWLEDGE

GROWTH IN LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION

HEALTH

HERBS Vitamins

Beautyand

and

Stayhydrated!

Traditional formulas!

100% vegan!

Food for your skin!

Never greasy! Powerful!

COCOA WELLTRUE ENERGYThe latest innovation in energy supplementation. exclusive AdaptoStress blend delivers high-quality standardized extracts of three of the most powerful adaptogenic herbs available today.

AUBREYMOISTURIZERSheer and never greasy, an elegant daily mois-turizer with UVA/UVB protection that defends your skin from sun and dryness with zinc and chlorophyll-rich organic blue-green algae.

MILK+HONEYLOTION BARIt’s an ecological moisturizer: no plastic bottle. A beauty balm. An everyday luxury. Artwork for the body. A foot balm, cuticle cream, healing salve and lip balm all in one.

RON TEEGUARDEN’SDRAGON HERBS Tonic herbs and superfoods, using formulas the Chinese have used for 1800 years. Ginseng and Zizyphus Combination nourishes Yin, pacifies the spirit (Shen), strengthens the heart and builds blood.

DEVITANATURAL SKIN CAREThe most advanced, certified organic, aloe vera based, 100% vegan, paraben free skin care line available. Day or night, anytime is right to use age defying PERFECTING TIME, a feather light and sheer moisturizing lotion.

WHEREVER WATERLEMON WATER ON-THE-GOThe built-in citrus reamer adds refreshing fruit essence. The ingenious mess-free cap holds the lemon in place. You get a fresh infusion every time you drink! Glass bottle keeps the taste pure. Designed to land on its soft base or lid if dropped. Dishwasher safe. BPA free.

The sun is getting stronger! To protect yourself from the the desert dryness, Ezekiel of the Valley store recommends added protection and food for your skin. To help you keep up with the demands of spring after a restful winter, a healthy booster for your energy level.

We Love Lemon Water! Cynthia in Santa Fe found a product that lets you carry it with you. Stay refreshed and hydrated everywhere! Be good to your skin with the most advanced certified skin care formulas available and balance your body with ancient herbal combinations.

FACE Body

Vitamins NATURAL Care

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face

LOCALorganic!

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LOS POBLANOSLAVENDER LOTIONFrom Albuquerque, New Mexico’s organic lavender farm, a wonderfully soothing moisturizing lotion, made with their own lavender essential oil. Also look for their LAVENDER HEALING SALVE, intensive treatment for hard working hands, dry elbows and knees. Soothing for insect bites and minor burns.

SUPER SALVE CO. SIERRA MADRE SUN CREAM From Mogollon, NM, a UVA/UVB protection with moisturizing and nourishing properties that help protect the skin from harsh exposure to sun, wind and water. SPF 30

ARTEMISIA HERBSNETTLESLocally grown and wildcrafted herbs from Dixon, NM. Nettles are tradition-ally used as a spring tonic and curb inflamation due to allergies. They are a slow-acting nutritive herb that gently cleanses the body of metabolic wastes.

We can’t get enough moisture, especially in a drought! Jennifer of the Nob Hill store picks LOCAL lotions, sunscreens and herbs. These folks know all about our New Mexico sun and climate, and the toll its dryness and pollens take on our bodies, inside and out.

DR. HAUSCHKA ROSE DAY CREAMCare for yourself. Care for your face.

The ritual of cleaning and caring for your face can affect how you feel about yourself. When you take a few minutes each day to clean, tone and moisturize your face, the effort will show. You’ll both look and feel healthier.

ROSE DAY CREAM For dry, sensitive or mature skinA rich, luxurious daily moisturizer. Soothing rose ingredients nurture and renew sensitive, dry and weather-damaged skin. Protects skin against dryness and soothes red, irritated skin and couperose. • Protects the delicate outer layer of the skin against dryness and irritation • Avocado oil with extracts of rose petal and rose hip soothe and renew red, irritated, sensitive skin • Seals in moisture to help prevent dryness • Thirty rose flowers go into each tube of Rose Day Cream • Used as directed, Rose Day Cream lasts approximatley three months

AVAILABLE AT THE CO-OP | ALBUQUERQUE • NOB HILL • VALLEY • UNM | SANTA FE | GALLUP

picnic pleasures May 2013 10

Stephanie Cameron, along with her hus-band Walt, are the new publishers of edi-ble Santa Fe. She shares her experienceson reestablishing a deep and meaningfulrelationship with food, sharing this lovewith her community, and recipes fromtheir most recent issue.

Ihad the fortune of growing up in afour-generation household and tuggedon the apron strings of my grandmoth-

er and great grandmother. They cookedthree meals a day, seven days a week andI learned from a very young age to appre-ciate the communal aspect of food; gath-ering around the table every night fornourishment for both the body and thesoul. From this experience I learned tolove the process of cooking and wantingto feed all my friends. I started havingdinner parties when I was 20. After hav-ing kids, cooking meals everyday becamea challenge. Juggling the demands ofschool, activities, and a job—my husbandand I lost sight of the importance of foodfor a period of time.

In 2009 Walt and I spent a considerableamount of time in New York and we fellin love with food again. Since then wehave embraced the local food communi-ty and movement. Celebrating everymeal we cook and eat knowing wherethe food on our plate came from and thestories behind it. I would like to sharewith you the recipes from our springissue of edible Santa Fe, "Cooking Fresh:Road Eats," as we all get spring feverand start to get the itch to hit the roadfor adventures and picnics.

Cooking Fresh: Road EatsRoad Trip Edition 2013

BY ANDREA FEUCHT

Just as the predictable annual windsbarge across the state, the threat of frostpunches the clock for the season, and we,in turn, realize a good spring cleaning isin order. How about this? Instead, let’sback-burner the dirty stove and shelve thedusty bookcase to take a little road tripand bask in the lengthening days. We’llkeep expenses under control with a cool-er full of homemade goodies.

We love our state and our cars; a trip toOctopus Car Wash counts as springcleaning in my book. The day before leav-ing, head to the store to pick up whatev-er ingredients are needed for a road-friendly picnic. The recipes below all trav-el well and can be made the nightbefore—in fact, several of the delicaciesare better the next day.

Now, where to go? It all depends on yourpreference for time driving versus timewandering. The shortest trip possible withsome quality browsing time is Madrid—aquick drive along the Turquoise Trail (NM14) will wind through low hills beforearriving at the tiny town known for pedes-trianism, both human and canine, and artgalleries galore. Stroll for a bit, reload oncaffeine at Java Junction and then headnorth to Cerrillos (watch for the sign toturn west), where just north of town is thelovely Cerrillos Hills State Park. Miles oftrails and day-use picnic grounds are justwhat the doctor ordered.

A longer, more drive-happy route is theHigh Road to Taos. Starting from SantaFe, drive past Pojoaque to Nambe, turn-ing east on NM 503. Your route headsnorth on NM 520 through Chimayo.Stop to buy a cookbook, but don’t forget

that you brought your lunch! Continue onNM 76 for a gorgeous climb through scrub-by rangeland with the Jemez Mountains onthe horizon. NM. 75 and NM. 518 gotoward the big Taos ski basin and morestunning views.

Find descriptions, more detail of theseroutes, and a whole slew of other tripoptions on the fantastic state tourism web-site: www.newmexico.org

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with SeaSalt and Ground ChileADAPTED FROM MOLLY WIZENBERG

We start with the promise of late summer’stomatoes by taking ordinary store-boughtRoma tomatoes and forcing every bit of fla-vor out of them by slow roasting. The resultis between fresh tomato and sun-driedpotency. Vary the baking time to suit yourpreference for dehydration, or for puretomato flavor.

Ripe tomatoes, preferably RomasOlive oilSea saltGround chile powder (red or green)

Preheat the oven to 200° F. Cut the stem endoff the tomatoes and halve them lengthwise.Brush or spray the open halves with oliveoil, then place skin side down on a bakingsheet. Sprinkle sea salt and chile powdersparingly over the cut face of the tomatoes—it will concentrate as they bake.

Let them roast for a minimum of 3 hoursand up to 12, until reduced in size by at leasthalf but still soft (you don’t want tomatojerky). Remove from oven and let cool onthe baking sheets completely, then store inan airtight container in the fridge. Snack atyour leisure while on the road, alone, orwith briny olives as accompaniment.

Fingerling Potatoes with Chives and ParsleyADAPTED FROM GOURMET

These are savory little morsels, perfect foreating out of the container or as a formalside dish to the heartier recipes that follow.Consider these a simple variation on apotato salad without the mayonnaise riskand little else but the essence of potato.

1 pound fingerling potatoes1 cup water2 tablespoons olive oil1 garlic clove, pressed1/2 teaspoon saltBlack pepper, freshly ground2 tablespoons chives, chopped1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

Peel the potatoes (or not, they might getwrinkly later but will still taste awesome),and halve them lengthwise. Combine thepotatoes, water, olive oil, garlic, salt andpepper in a small skillet with a lid. Bringeverything to simmer, then cover and con-tinue simmering with a pan shake nowand then until potatoes are cooked, about15 minutes.

Uncover the skillet and continue to sim-mer until the liquid has reduced to a glaze,about 5 minutes. Toss in the herbs. Serveat any temperature, same day or next.

Cabbage Salad with Pecans

While slaw itself isn’t so New Mexican,the pecans add a local touch, as does theinclusion of some fiery local mustard.One original recipe called for spinach,but in the interest of longevity we aresubstituting kale to keep the color andextra flavor. This is great the day it ismade and well into the next day, thoughit will weep some juice as it marinates.

Let’s have ourselvesa littlePICNIC

1/2 small red cabbage, trimmed, cored andshredded (about 6 cups)

1/2 small green cabbage, trimmed, cored andshredded (about 6 cups)

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste1/2 bunch fresh kale, stemmed and cut into

1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 4 cups looselypacked)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar1 tablespoon Dijon or other fancy mustard

(locally-made Lusty Monk brand comes to mind)

1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground1/4 cup olive oil1/2 cup toasted pecans, choppedBlack pepper, freshly ground

In a large bowl, toss shredded red and green cab-bage with salt. Transfer cabbage to a colander (Ilike to use a salad spinner so you can see howmuch water comes out—more than you mightthink!) and let it drain for two hours. This helpsto ensure crispy slaw. After well drained, you canrinse the cabbage if it tastes too salty—it won’tsoak the water back up during a rinse.

Put the cabbage into a large bowl and add thekale. In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, mus-tard and cumin together. Add the oil in a thinstream, whisking constantly until the ingredientsare thoroughly emulsified. Toss the salad withthe dressing and add the toasted pecans. Seasonwith pepper.

Wheat Berry and Barley SaladINSPIRED BY ROBIN’S KITCHEN at the Har-wood Art Center in Albuquerque, www.robinskitchen.net

The first time I ate a cousin of this salad I waspleasantly full for hours—fair warning if you’replanning on eating a main course as well. Find adelicious variation of hearty grains, herbs andlemon at Robin’s Kitchen.

1 cup wheat berries1 cup pearl barley2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste

with 1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 cup balsamic vinegar1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil6 scallions, chopped fine1 1/2 cups corn, cooked (optional)1 pint vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped1 tablespoon lemon juice

Bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil, thenadd wheat berries and cook at a slow boil for 30minutes. Add the barley and cook grains another40 minutes. At our altitude all hard grains takelonger than you think—taste after the time win-dow is up and keep going until they are done.

While the grains are cooking, in a large bowl stirtogether garlic paste, vinegar and oil.

Drain grains well and add to garlic mixture. Tossmixture well and cool. Add scallions, corn,tomatoes, chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper totaste and toss well. Chill up to one day beforeserving at room temperature.

(Cheater’s) MuffalettaIf you haven't tried a muffaletta sandwich before,there is no time like spring. This New Orleans clas-sic is best after aging for a day under heavy weights(yes, really.) It’s kind of like a cold-pressed paninoof meaty cheesy goodness. For picnic efficiency,we’re saving time by not making the olive spreador the vinaigrette from scratch.

1 pound round bread loaf, 3 to 4 inches high1 cup jarred olive salad (often labeled “Italian

olive salad”)1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette, the best you can buy1/4 pound prosciutto1/4 pound sandwich pepperoni1/4 pound Genoa salami1/4 pound provolone cheese1 large ball fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly1 medium red onion, sliced thinly1 jar roasted red peppers in water1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and choppedA few handfuls of fresh arugula or spinachFresh basil leaves

Cut the bread in half horizontally, then hollow outtop and bottom space for all the fillings.

Smear olive salad over the bread bottom and top.Begin layering the ingredients with a periodic drizzleof the red wine vinaigrette: meats, provolone, onion,lettuce, artichoke hearts, basil leaves, roasted redpeppers, fresh mozzarella, remaining olive salad.

Put the top of the bread on without spilling every-thing, then wrap the muffuletta tightly in plasticwrap—very, very tightly. Place in refrigerator andweigh it down with a cast iron pan, and let set upto a full day.

FOR MORE DELICIOUS PICNIC RECIPES VISIT:wwwediblesantafe.com

picnic pleasures May 2013 11

ABQ FILM AND MEDIA EXPERIENCE • JUNE 3-9

See the hottest movies and documentaries, hear from film luminaries at theaters along RT. 66 including: Robert Redford,Thomas Dolby and more! Tickets, schedules and info: www.abqfilmexperience.com

road

EATS!

theLa MontanitaFUND

Loan application nowbeing taken!

Get your application in today! For Information call877-775-2667

Premium Compost • Our locally made Premium Compost is approved for use on Certified Organic Farms and Gardens.

Topsoil Blend• Ready for planting in raised beds or flower pots!Mulch • A variety of decorative and functional mulches.Foodwaste Recycling• Albuquerque’s only restaurant foodwaste recycling pick up service Greenwaste Recycling• Bring your Yardwaste to us and keep it out of the Dump!

9008 Bates Rd. SE Open Tues. through Sat. 8am to 4pmPlease come down and see us • www.soilutions.net

BY RONNIE CUMMINS, ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION

A growing number of organic consumers, naturalhealth advocates and climate hawks are taking amore comprehensive look at the fundamental caus-

es of global warming. And it's led them to this sobering con-clusion: Our modern energy, chemical and GMO-intensiveindustrial food and farming systems are the major cause ofman-made global warming.

How did they reach this conclusion? First: by taking a moreinclusive look at the scientific data on greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions—not just carbon dioxide (CO2), but also methane and nitrousoxide. Next, by doing a full accounting of the fossil fuel consumption andemissions of the entire industrial food and farming cycle, includinginputs, equipment, production, processing, distribution, heating, coolingand waste. And finally by factoring in the indirect impacts of contempo-rary agriculture, which include deforestation and wetlands destruction.

When you add it all up, the picture is clear: conventional agriculture isburning up our planet. And factory farms or, in industry lingo, ConfinedAnimal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), play a key role in this impendingdisaster.

CAFOs and ClimateToday, nearly 65 billion animals worldwide, including cows, chickensand pigs, are crammed into CAFOs. These animals are literally impris-oned and tortured in unhealthy, unsanitary and unconscionably cruelconditions. CAFOs contribute directly to global warming by releasingvast amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere—more than theentire global transportation industry.

According to a 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations (FAO), animal agriculture is responsible for 18% ofall human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, including 37% of methane

farming& gardening May 2013 12

emissions and 65% of nitrous oxide emissions. Themethane releases from billions of imprisoned ani-mals on factory farms are 70 times more damagingper ton to the earth’s atmosphere than CO2.

Indirectly, factory farms contribute to climate dis-ruption by their impact on deforestation and drain-ing of wetlands, and because of the nitrous oxideemissions from huge amounts of pesticides used togrow the genetically engineered corn and soy fed toanimals raised in CAFOs. Nitrous oxide pollution iseven worse than methane—200 times more damag-ing per ton than CO2. And just as animal wasteleaches antibiotics and hormones into ground water,pesticides and fertilizers also eventually find theirway into our waterways, further damaging the envi-ronment.

Factory farms aren’t just a disaster for the environ-ment. They’re also ruining our health. A growing cho-rus of scientists and public health advocates warn thatthe intensive and reckless use of antibiotics and

MAKE MINE HUMANE

growth hormones leads to factory-farmed food that con-tains antibiotic-resistant pathogens, drug residuessuch as hormones and growth promoters, and“bad fats.” Yet the vast majority of consumersdon’t realize that nearly 95% of the meat, dairyand eggs sold in the US come from CAFOs.

Alliance for the AlternativeThere’s an alternative: A socially responsible,small-scale system created by independent produc-ers and processors focused on local and regionalmarkets. In 2013, a new alliance will tackle thenext big food battle: meat, eggs and dairy productsfrom animals raised on factory farms, or CAFOs.Starting with a massive program to educate con-sumers about the negative impacts of factory farm-ing on the environment, on human health and on

animal welfare, and then to mobilize millions of con-sumers to demand labels on beef, pork, poultry anddairy products derived from these unhealthy and unsus-tainable industrial practices.

Opponents and skeptics will ask, “What about feedingthe world?” Contrary to popular arguments, factoryfarming is not a cheap, efficient solution to worldhunger. For every 100 food calories of edible crops fedto livestock, we get back just 30 calories in the form ofmeat and dairy. That’s a 70% loss.

Once people know the whole truth about CAFOs theywill want to make healthier, more sustainable food choic-es. To do that, we have to fight for our right to know notonly what is in our food, but how it is produced.

RONNIE CUMMINS is the international Director ofthe Organic Consumers Association and its Mexicoaffiliate, Via Organica. www.organicconsumers.org, www.viaorganica.org.

I asked Jacke what his workshop is about and heresponded by saying: “Ecosystem agriculture intends tocreate food-producing habitats thatmimic natural ecosystem properties,principles, patterns and processes. Thisworkshop explores the vision, theory,design and practice of ecosystem agri-culture using temperate forest ecosys-tems as the primary general model, andone or two habitats of the Santa Feregion as specific models. Lectures, fieldobservations and experiential classeswill reveal the nature of ecosystemarchitecture, social structure, underground economicsand succession. Participants will draw conclusions fromthese experiences, developing practical design principles,practices, patterns and processes for garden design andmanagement. Once we “get” the bigger patterns thatconnect, we will focus on the nitty gritty of perennialpolyculture design.”

Our ancestors lived on this land for millennia with aperennial polyculture that Jacke defines as “an effec-

tive mixture of useful perennial plantsthat minimizes competition, createsadditive yields, and minimizes the gar-dener’s work and outside inputs.”

The May 30–June 2 workshops ex-plore the specific ecological theoriesthrough experiential classes and designexercises. Participants will design atleast one perennial polyculture duringclass using Niche Analysis, Guild

Build, Ecological Analogs, Patch Design or otherprocesses. The workshops will be held at the SantaFe Community College.

CALL FOR CLASS AND FEE SCHEDULE:505-819-3828. Register online:www.carboneconomyseries.com.

BY JOE FRANKE

For the past several years, I’ve noticed thateven the toughest of my garden and pollinatorplantings are having a tough time of

it. Not only are the usual signs of heat stressevident, many plants that are otherwisethought of as tough are showing signs ofwhat I thought was the result of a soil nutri-ent problem or a disease process. Plants ofmany different families show the samesigns: first a small yellow blotch appears inthe middle of the leaves, and this eventuallyturns to brown and then a hole forms or theleaf drops off. Questions to county exten-sion agents and the Water Authority (as Ibegan to think that water quality was a possible cause)provided no leads, but in talking with a well knowntree nursery owner it was revealed to me that excessiveamounts of chlorine in our Albuquerque’s municipalwater system was in all possibility the culprit.

Chlorine is added to municipal water to kill bacteriaand other pathogens. Several forms are used, but allare toxic to one degree or another. What kills bacte-ria in drinking water also kills plant cells and playshavoc on the complex ecology of your soil. Indrought years such as those we are experiencing now,when water from the river is likely to have a very highfecal coliform count, a LOT of chlorine gets used andthis adds to the stress all of the plants in your gardenundergo when rain is scarce.

There are a number of ways that chlorine can beremoved from water, but methods such as reverseosmosis are impractical, expensive and wasteful.Most RO filters have a waste ration of 2/1, meaningfor every gallon of RO water you get, two go downthe drain. The more practical methods for removing

chlorine are those that turn theharmful chlorine into harmlesschlorides. This can be done usingmagnetic, electrical or chemicalmeans. Chemical cartridges,which are threaded onto the endof your hose line, are the cheap-est to install. The magnetic andelectrical methods are those thatare actually placed in the mainline, and will convert chlorine tochlorides in all of the water enter-

ing the plumbing of your house. The downside ofthese systems is that they are expensive, starting atabout $1,600, plus installation costs. You shouldalso remember that these systems only deal withchlorine, and other contaminants of concern thatare either present or will be entering our waterthrough contamination by the millions of gallons ofjet fuel spilled by Kirtland Air Force Base, and thetons of nuclear waste presently buried in unlinedpits at Sandia Labs “mixed waste landfill” are NOTfiltered out. For these contaminants, other filtersmust be used, and this will be the subject of the nextinstallment.

Please feel free to send the author an email: JoeFranke, jf@ABQwatersolutions.com.

BY IGINIA BROCCALANDRO, CARBON ECONOMY SERIES

Homo sapiens have been around for nearly 200,000 years andhave subsisted from a horticultural model for 90% of thattime. Agriculture only dates back ten to twelve thousand years. As

omnivores, we integrated ourselves into the available food system; we hunt-ed, foraged, gathered fruits and nuts along with selecting seeds to plant inspecific auspicious places.

Living on game and perennials versus annuals like modern agriculture does,made our impact on the environment nearly null. It is with tilling,monocropping, irrigation and the cutting of trees for fuel and shelter that webegin to deplete the vegetative skin, ruin our soil and create deserts. In addi-tion comes the necessity of guarding the yield, which requires soldiers andarmies. Add petroleum and greed to the equation and we have modern,industrialized agriculture with its increasing desertification, water usage andcreation of environmental devastation at an alarming rate.

What took Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years to create, ahuge desert, we are doing in less than 100 years, with the dust bowl and thedepletion of the Ogallala Aquifer, as proof of our foolishness. We must lookat how we fed ourselves in the past, take note and move forward. Edible foodforests are a part of our heritage that must be revived. That is why DavidJacke, teacher and author of Edible Food Gardens, is coming to the CarbonEconomy Series.

CLIMATE FRIENDLY FOODREQUIRES ANIMAL FRIENDLY

FARMING

COMING HERE?EDIBLEFOOD FORESTS

CHLORINE AND YOU Rgarden

BY BRETT BAKKER

As I write (early April) there’s been a dustingof snow on the Sandias, drenching rain in theGila and showers in many places across the state

as well as late snows near the headwaters of the RioGrande in Colorado. In spite of this, New Mexicoremains in a critical drought and at this point, no amountof precipitation will make much of a difference. Acequiafarmers across New Mexico face having their ditches shutoff entirely as early as July 1. Farms that use well waterare watching water tables drop. Some farmers are threat-ening to sue upriver farmers for depleting the amount ofwater that should pass downstream.

Visiting a few Albuquerque farms recently, I was encour-aged to see many of them working with various forms ofdrip irrigation. Drip is key to conserving water right nowbut it is also worth stopping to consider what it costs. Thefirst answer would be cost of the drip-tape and a pump topush water through the lines. Some folks would add theprice of powering the pump and maybe the cost of main-taining the engine. Few people would add other hiddencosts—sort of like the carbon footprint concept.

Okay, so we need energy to run the pump. If it’s electric,think of the energy needed to run the power plant to cre-ate the energy to run the pump. If it’s gas-powered thenfactor in the energy needed to extract, refine and trans-

globally. And how long do these lines last? A couple of years at most ifon top of the ground, exposed to the elements, and a few moreyears if buried underground. Plastic may take hundreds orthousands of years to decompose entirely but it degrades andbecomes unusable quickly. So then there’s the cost of new plas-tic made with “new” oil and maintaining all that old infra-structure, extraction and exploration.

One could argue that all the mines, factories and infrastructureare already there. And that would be correct. But all that stuffwouldn’t be there if there was no demand (i.e., no money to bemade in doing so.) Some people may think I’m going too far,but there is an energy and ecological cost to everything we useor consume on a daily basis: plastic spoon in our take-outlunch, washing the dishes, getting the latest model phone, onand on and on. We can’t be completely “clean” because allcreatures, including humans, have to use resources to stay

alive. We’re just the only species that create such far-reaching effects.Using a stone ax to cut down a tree in a forest to make a shovel handleis about as clean as you could get—except that the material for the shov-el head has got to come from a smelter and mine someplace.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we need to return to the StoneAge. I like using a well-made shovel or digging fork, or switching on thelights or my stereo. All I’m suggesting is that drip irrigation is a way touse less water but it comes at a higher energy cost. But heck, even ditchirrigation requires energy to dam the rivers, build the head gates, pourconcrete, etc. I don’t think anyone wants to return to the old method ofbuilding dams with huge woven willow baskets full of rocks and digditches with pointy sticks. No, I’m not even sure what my point is hereexcept just to be aware. Water in the desert is not a given. In my view,growing food with it trumps lawns and landscaping, sports fields, newhome development, industry, or even our new sacred cow: the creationof jobs.

RESOURCES FOR LIFE

port the fuel. What about the energy needed to buildthe pump? To mine and transport the materials need-ed to build that pump? And to build the power plantthat provides the energy to build the pump? And torun the mine and factories for the raw materials andparts used to build it? This can go on endlessly: theinfrastructure to move all the energy, whether groundtransport or power lines or pipelines.

Then there’s the drip line itself: extracting raw materi-al (oil) and refining it to make plastic to manufacturethe lines. And let’s not forget the—uh—investmentsmade in the name of protecting “our” oil resources

farming& gardening May 2013 13

DOING THE DRIP:water RANT

GROWING FOOD trumps...

SAVOR THE LOCAL FLAVOR ON JUNE 2Delicious New Mexico has joined with New World Cuisine, afood and visual art display at the Museum of InternationalFolk Art in Santa Fe, to celebrate New Mexico's flavor.

The two will combine efforts with an event featuring NewMexico food businesses, cooking demonstrations, books, aNew Mexico wine and beer tasting, and, of course, LOTS OFFOOD.

Savor the Flavor will be held on Sunday, June 2, at theMuseum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe from 10am-5pm. Delicious New Mexico will bring today’s local food com-munity into the mix with a host of food businesses that willfeature their delicious products for sample and sale.

The event also includes a book fair featuring New Mexicocookbook authors, outdoor horno baking demonstrations,cooking demos with Chef Rocky Durham of the Santa Fe Culi-nary Academy and wine and beer tasting in the Museum HillCafé. Museum entrance is free with NM identification.www.deliciousnm.org

DELICIOUS NEW MEXICO

itchygreen tthhuummbb

Finally there’s the issue OF WATER RIGHTS. As water is“saved” by cutting back on irrigation, it’s then seen as“available” for other industrial/development uses. USEIT OR LOSE IT is the reality here whether it’s exactly legalor not. But that’s another rant entirely…

summer reading May 2013 14

community forum May 2013 15

BY JEAN AGUERRE

The US Army's claim that ongoing andexpanded operations at the already rav-aged Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS)

in southeastern Colorado pose no significant environ-mental impacts is a "bizarre greenwash" of an ongo-ing assault on fragile prairie grasslands in an area thatscientists describe as the "headwinds" of the 1930sDust Bowl. Watchdog group, Not 1 More Acre!(N1MA!), challenged the Army's unsupported andcontradictory claims in comments filed March 21under the National Environmental Protection Act(NEPA). N1MA! submitted scientific evidence refut-ing the Draft Finding of “No Significant Impact” andFinal Programmatic Environmental Assessment filedby the Army earlier this year.

The proposed operations will involve relocation ofmany thousands of soldiers and civilians on multiplebases; along with thousands of pieces of heavy equip-ment, including tanks, artillery and aviation assets.Activities will include live–fire training exercises, the useof toxic and hazardous substances, integrated electronicweapons systems, including armed drones, and intensi-fication of maneuvers by the 13th Heavy CombatBrigade and other units. Yet, the Final ProgrammaticEnvironmental Assessment (PEA) reaches the astound-ing conclusion that none of the current or proposedactivities will have any significant adverse environmen-tal impacts.

In stark contrast to the picture painted by theArmy, Fritz L. Knopf, a Great Plains historical ecol-ogist, warns, "Training at Piñon Canyon ManeuverSite results in irreversible disturbance of soils. Soilsof the shortgrass prairie are highly erodible. His-torically, southeastern Colorado lies in what mightbe termed the 'headwinds' of the Dust Bowl of the1930s. Studies have concluded that tracking by mil-itary vehicles causes a soil disturbance that leads toan ecological shift from a deep-rooted, wind-resist-ant, soil-protecting vegetative cover to a shallow-rooted flora prone to severe wind erosion in periodsof drought," Knopf said.

“Scientific studies have collectively concluded that ravages alreadywreaked on the shortgrass at the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site areirreversible,” Knopf warned, “and there currently is no technicalknowledge or expectation that the erosion-protecting sod landscapecan be recovered or restored following surface disturbances frommilitary actions past and proposed. The Army ignores the collective

research programs at the Agricultural Research Service'sLong-Term Ecological Research site in Eastern Coloradowhich conclude that restoration of shortgrass prairie fromsevere damage is so slow that it has not yet been definitivelydocumented anywhere in eastern Colorado, 75 years afterthe Dust Bowl."

The southern Great Plains represent the largest continuousexpanse of native shortgrass remaining on earth. Because ofthe already documented ecological desecration of this fragileand sensitive region, Not 1 More Acre! opposes any continueduse or expansion of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site andinsists that the Pentagon withdraw the 2020 PEA and imme-diately cease any training and/or any other activities at the

Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.

Not One More Acre! says, “We will not stand by to watch thelast native shortgrass prairie become the next NationalSacrifice Zone.” For more information, to make a donation orto see related documents go to www.not1moreacre.net

NOT ONE MORE ACRE!MILITARY GREENWASH MANEUVER

STANDS WITH A FIST: NATIVEWOMEN ARTISTS The Museum of ContemporaryNative Arts (MoCNA) cele-brates the opening of itsSpring 2013 Exhibitions withan extraordinary group exhibi-tion — Stands With A Fist: Con-temporary Native Women Artists,two solo exhibitions by multi-dis-ciplinary artist Kade L Twist and photographer RosalieFavell and daily screenings of the experimental docu-mentary Apache Chronicle.

Stands With A Fist is a multi-disciplinary art exhibitioncelebrating visual expression created by contemporaryNative women artists. The exhibition demonstrates theways that women boldly fit into, redefine or turn upsidedown the usual categories of art and art-making, whilere-interpreting and drawing from their rich cultural heritage. Collectively, their work expresses a uniqueIndigenous relationship to the land, contemporaryworldview and sense of obligation to their culture.

In bringing these artists together, Stands WithA Fist bears witness to the strength of diverse

cultural influences, individual experi-ences and the intellectual and creativeactivism expressed by Native womenartists working today.

In conjunction with the Stands With AFist: Contemporary Native WomenArtists, MoCNA has commissionedartist Nanibah “Nani” Chacon to createa new mural in the Allan Houser Art

Park. Stands With A Fist: ContemporaryNative Women Artists include: Gina Adams,Natalie Ball, Lindsay Delaronde, MerrittJohnson, Tanya Lukin-Linklater and MelanieYazzie and is curated by Ryan Rice.

The exhibition is open to the public onSaturday, May 25, and continues through July31. The opening reception will take place onFriday, May 24, from 5 to 7pm at the Museumof Contemporary Native Arts, 108 CathedralPlace in Santa Fe. The opening is FREE andopen to the public. For more informationcontact Andrea R. Hanley at 505-428-5907or ahanley@iaia.edu.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ARTSSPRING EXHIBIT

F irst and foremost, the Horse Shelter is dedi-cated to providing a safe, healthyenvironment for rescued horses.

They follow up on each and every reportreceived of horse abuse or neglect, dissemi-nate information on proper horse care forhorse owners and make every attempt toassist individuals in the care of their horses.

The Horse Shelter’s mission is to rescue, reha-bilitate and facilitate the adoption of abused,abandoned and neglected horses throughout NewMexico. Shelter horses are housed in run-in stalls, largepaddocks and turn-outs. They maintain a healthy feedingregimen, provide veterinary and farrier care and exercisehorses when appropriate, working with them to get themready for adoption to carefully screened new owners. Forsome horses the Horse Shelter will be a life-long sanctuarydue to their history, age or medical condition.

This year is the 12th Annual Auction and Fundraisingbenefit to help cover the costs of this work. On May 19enjoy a delicious gourmet luncheon donated by Restau-rant Martin, ranch tours and horse training demonstra-

tions utilizing shelter horses, and a fundraising auction.Don’t miss this wonderful event and a chance to helpour four-legged friends.

On June 15 you are also invited to joinHorse Shelter staff and volunteers fortheir Valles Caldera horse ride, anotherbenefit for the Shelter. Enjoy lunchcatered by the Whole Hog Cafe and arare opportunity to ride horses out inthe beautiful Valles Caldera. Groupsride independently, without beingrestricted to trails and have seen coyoteand elk!

The Grande Meadow is 14 miles long and ten mileswide. There is still hot magnum three miles below thesurface. It is one of only three active calderons in the UStoday. The heat below the surface is the reason no treesgrow there. Space is limited to 50 horses. Please reserveas a riding group with Sue Murphy at: suemurphy723@earthlink.net

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RSVP for the May19 celebration of horses and gourmet food go towww.thehorseshelter.org or call 505-471-6179.

ANNUAL GOURMET LUNCHEON AND RANCH TOUR

HORSESHELTERMAY 19

PPRROOTTEECCTTIINNGGOOUURRLLAASSTTNNAATTIIVVEEGGRRAASSSSLLAANNDDSS

BIKE SWAP!SATURDAY, MAY 11 Noon to dusk on Lead SE, just westof Elm, at the warehouse with the Donkey Kong mural. FREE TO VEND. For info contact Kevin at fullertronic@gmail.com orDavid at hueroknife@yahoo.com.

BIKESPARTS, AND STUFFTO BE HAD!

Mary Alice Cooper,MD