accept schools or religious organizations, due to thefact that there are hundreds of them throughout thestate and our waiting list is already five years long.We already also have a waiting list of organizationswho would like to be our bag donation recipient asecond time. For more information or to getyour organization on the list please contactrobins@lamontanita.coop.

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

ver the four and a half years since the inception ofLa Montañita’s bag credit donation program you,our devoted and generous Co-op shoppers, havetogether donated over $100,000 to worthy

non-profit organizations throughout New Mexico.

In Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Gallup members and shoppershave reused their shopping bags over one million times anddonated their dimes in support of dozens of dedicated, localnon-profit organizations who work to make all our lives bet-ter. A dime may not seem like a lot, but $100,000 is a lot ofdimes, and it clearly shows how when we cooperate and poolour resources, we can have a tremendous impact. It takes alot of reusable shopping bags (saving a lot of trees) and a lotof generous shoppers cooperating by donating their dimes tomake it happen.

Bravo! Thanks! And congratulations to all our shoppersand members for reaching this wonderful milestone ingenerosity and community support for a better worldfor us all.

La Montañita Co-op has long been a leader bothin the natural foods movement and in promotingawareness of the links between food, health, and

environment. For many, the first time they heard about thehealth effects of BPA (Bisphenol-A) and BPS (Bisphenol-S)was in the Co-op Connection News as early as the mid-1990s. That is when it came to light that even certifiedorganic canned products were packaged using a BPA coat-ing on the inside of cans and all the water bottles we werecarrying were made with BPA. Since then the research onand awareness of BPA and BPS has become more accessi-ble and in 2012 the FDA finally banned BPA and BPS plas-tics for use in baby bottles and other consumer products.

Now, La Montañita continues its leadership by being oneof the first Co-ops and grocery stores, locally and nation-ally, to switch to phenol-free register receipt paper at its sixlocations. We expect our first shipment of the BPA/BPS-freepaper to be in the registers this month.

OOur non-profit recipients encom-pass a wide swath of communitydevelopment work and includeorganizations that work in theareas of: homelessness, ecologicalrestoration and protection, eco-nomic justice, social justice, childwelfare, animal welfare, and somany more.

For a list of bag credit recipients goto www.lamontanita.coop/dime/

So popular has our bag credit donation program beenthat we currently have over a 5-year waiting list fororganizations to have their month. We ask that organi-zations interested in getting on the list send us a copy oftheir 501(c)(3) determination letter, a short descriptionof the program and who they serve as well as informa-tion for their contact person. At this time we do not

This new receipt paper is free of BPA and BPS, which havebeen linked to a variety of health concerns, including hor-mone disruption. The phenol-free paper is manufacturedusing a Vitamin C-based thermal coating, which allowsimages to be produced when exposed to heat. The tape is yel-low in color and the image is lighter, but will remain legiblefor at least five years if the receipt is stored under normal fil-ing conditions.

Most polycarbonate plastics are made using BPA as the start-ing point. The FDA ban and the rise of the BPA-free bottlesfor babies and adults came as manufacturers responded toconsumer concerns of BPA's safety after several studies foundthese chemicals mimic estrogen and could harm brain andreproductive development in fetuses, infants, and children.More recently research has revealed that a common BPAreplacement, BPS, may be just as harmful. BPS was thoughtto be more resistant to leaching into food, water and henceour bodies. Industry scientists touted the concept that mini-mizing exposures meant only minimal harm.

DONATED DIMES ADD UPYOU DONATED $100,000THANK YOU CO-OP SHOPPERS!

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

This has been an exciting year ofchange for the Veteran Farmer Project(VFP). We are most pleased to see our

partnership with Rio Grande Community Farm(RGCF) blossom. It has been wonderful workingwith RGCF manager Sean Ludden and RGCFBoard members. We now have twelve eighty-footrows planted with a diversity of vegetables, andthanks to the spring rains all are doing well—including a huge crop of weeds; but such is thefarmer’s lot. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a scrump-tious harvest of vegetables throughout the summer months toboth share with the veterans and friends who work the rowsand to sell at the VA Growers’ Market, to the Co-op, andthrough other outlets.

A very special thanks goes out to Master Gardener RonJobe, Tom Keene of Bethany Organic Farm (both veteransthemselves), Loretta Sandoval of Zulu’s Petals, and Tiana

Baca and Karen Temple-Beamish ofthe Desert Oasis Teaching Garden fortheir most generous donations ofseedlings to fill our rows.

The VFP works at the farm on Tuesdayand Thursday mornings. It is healingand peaceful to be out in the middle ofthe field in the mornings with birdssinging and an inspiringly beautifulview of wispy clouds floating above the

Sandia Mountains in the distance. In mid-May we regu-larly saw a flock of ibis, their long beaks curving into thegreen fields finding food. There is wonderful camaraderieshared and we even occasionally see our resident coyote inthe distance. All are welcome to join us. While the VFPwas created to support veterans, it is open to all. To joinus for our mornings in the field contact Robin at 505-217-2027 or robins@lamontanita.coop.

NEW TO THE VFPOne of the most awesome additions to our project isa 30x70-foot hoop house that was donated for ouruse by RGCF. All the VFP had to do was have itmoved to our new location. Thanks to a grant fromthe New Mexico Department of Agriculture, we hadthe funds to move it and also to purchase a shadecloth to keep it reasonably temperate during the sum-mer growing season for our cover crop. The hoophouse will be located near the well house on the east-ern edge of Field 4 and will have access to water yearround. It will provide an excellent resource for multi-season production, education, and sales.

Our goal is to expand our agricultural educationalopportunities in partnership with Rio GrandeCommunity Farms, utilizing both the hoop house andthe VFP half acre. Stay tuned for more details onthis fun food production education project. Formore information contact Robin at 505-217-2027or robins@lamontanita.coop.

GOING PHENOL FREECO-OP SWITCHES TO PHENOL-FREE REGISTER RECEIPT PAPER

cooperativeIMPACT

JUNE is MMEEMMBBEERRSURVEY

MONTH!

As reported recently in Scientific American, a fairly main-stream publication, “nearly 81 percent of Americans havedetectable levels of BPS in their urine. And once it entersthe body it can affect cells in ways that parallel BPA... A2013 study by Cheryl Watson at The University of TexasMedical Branch at Galveston found that even pico-molarconcentrations (less than one part per trillion) of BPS candisrupt a cell’s normal functioning, which could potential-ly lead to metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity,asthma, birth defects or even cancer.”

La Montañita is pleased to be one of the first grocery storesto offer BPA- and BPS-free register receipts. La Montañita’sDistribution Center is sourcing the register paper fromAppvion, a company that has been manufacturing the BPA-and BPS-free paper since 2006. La Montañita CooperativeDistribution Center will be selling the phenol-free receiptpaper to their wholesale customers in New Mexico. Forordering information, contact Distribution Center CustomerService, 505-217-2010. For more information on the BPAand BPS paper, go to www.appvion.com.

Switching to phenol-free register receipt paper con-tinues La Montañita’s dedication to cultivating a sus-tainable future for our community and our planet.

Music, Food, Family, Fun: A Cool Time in Mid-SummerJoin La Montañita Co-op at our Westside location onSaturday, June 20, from 11am–4pm for a Rockin’ BBQ, withdelicious summer foods and live music. Entertainmentincludes a live radio remote with 100.3 The PEAK(11am–1pm) and musical performances from the studentsat Rock 101, New Mexico's premiere music academy

VETERAN FARMER PROJECT: GROWING A FARMAND A PARTNERSHIP

(2–4pm). Our rockin’ menu will include grass-fed beef burg-ers, steaks, veggie options, chips and drinks for purchase anda wide variety of in-store samples.

Celebrate the Solstice and Fathers’ Day at the Co-op’s SantaFe store. BBQ proceeds benefit the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.Come Adopt a Pet! Enjoy delicious grass-fed beef and veg-etarian options.

ROCKIN’ THE WESTSIDE11am-4pm

CCOO--OOPP SSUUMMMMEERR BBBBQQSS!! ON JUNE 20

SANTA FE CELEBRATION!11:30am-2pm

WATCH YOUR MAILBOX, either regular post or digital, for yourmember survey. Turn it in and GET 2 ONE-TIMEonly 15% OFFSHOPPING TRIPS!

the changing food landscape June 2015 2

La Montañita CooperativeA Community-Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

Nob Hill 7am – 10pm M – Sa, 8am – 10pm Su3500 Central SE, ABQ, NM 87106505-265-4631

Rio Grande 7am – 10pm M – Su2400 Rio Grande NW, ABQ, NM 87104505-242-8800

Gallup 8am – 8pm M – Sa, 10am – 6pm Su105 E Coal, Gallup, NM 87301505-863-5383

Santa Fe 7am – 10pm M – Su913 West Alameda, Santa Fe, NM 87501505-984-2852

Grab n’ Go 8am – 6pm M – F, 11am – 4pm SaUNM Bookstore, 2301 Central SW, ABQ, NM 87131505-277-9586

Westside 7am – 9pm M – Su 3601 Old Airport Ave, ABQ, NM 87114505-503-2550

Cooperative Distribution Center9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107505-217-2010

Administration Offices9am – 5pm, M – F 901 Menaul NE, ABQ, NM 87107505-217-2001

Administrative Staff: 217-2001TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP)• Interim General Manager/Bob Tero 217-2020bobt@lamontanita.coop• Controller/John Heckes 217-2029johnh@lamontanita.coop• Computers/Info TechnologyDavid Varela 217-2011 tech@lamontanita.coop• Special Projects Manager/Mark Lane 217-2028markl@lamontanita.coop• Human Resources/Sharret Rose 217-2023hr@lamontanita.coop• Marketing/Karolyn Cannata-Winge 217-2024kcwinge@lamontanita.coop• Membership/Robin Seydel 217-2027robins@lamontanita.coop• CDC/MichelleFranklin 217-2010mf@lamontanita.coop

Store Team Leaders: • Valerie Smith/Nob Hill 265-4631valeries@lamontanita.coop• John Mullé/Rio Grande 242-8800jm@lamontanita.coop• William Prokopiak/Santa Fe 984-2852willpro@lamontanita.coop• John Philpott/Gallup 575-863-5383john.philpott@lamontanita.coop• Joe Phy/Westside 505-503-2550josephp@lamontanita.coop

Co-op Board of Directors:email: bod@lamontanita.coop• President: Ariana Marchello• Secretary: Marshall Kovitz• Lisa Banwarth-Kuhn• James Esqueda• Jessica Rowland• Rosemary Romero• Tracy Sprouls• Tammy Parker

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

Co-op Connection Staff:• Managing Editor: Robin Seydelrobins@lamontanita.coop 217-2027• Layout and Design: foxyrock inc• Cover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept.• Advertising: JR Riegel• Editorial Assistant: JR Riegel j.riegel@lamontanita.coop 217-2016• Editorial Intern: Katherine Mullé• Printing: Vanguard Press

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

Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Email the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coop

Copyright ©2015La Montañita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% post-consumer recycledpaper. It is recyclable.

RAISING PROFIT AND GRASS-FEDBEEF WITH COOPERATIVESBY KATHY HARRIS, HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT

INTERNATIONAL

Have you been enjoying some Sweet GrassCooperative Beef from La Montañita? Wouldyou like to talk with ranchers who are passionate

about raising healthy beef and improving the land?

Come to Holistic Management International’s OpenGate learning day at the Piojo Ranch in Watrous, NewMexico, on July 17th and learn with ranchers, con-sumers, and agency personnel. This event is co-spon-sored by La Montañita Co-op.

Piojo Ranch, LLC, is a certified organic ranch located inthe Watrous Valley on the Mora River. With more than 600 acresof irrigated pastures and 1,500+ acres of prairie grasslands, PiojoRanch is home to Red and Black Angus cattle, and also providesblue heron habitat and elk calving grounds. The ranch operatesusing Holistic Management©, low-stress cattle handling, andworks to improve grass-finished genetics in their low-input cattleproduction.

Clint Hoss, Ranch Manager, also develops and improves waterconservation in their application of pivot, K-line, and flood irri-gation, as well as fodder systems, to produce the highest qualitygrass-fed and finished beef. Their beef is marketed throughSweet Grass Cooperative which is sold at La Montañita Co-opand through Panorama Meats.

Clint coordinates conservation programs in pasture improve-ment, rangeland and weather monitoring, flood plain restora-tion of the Mora River, and participates in the High PlainsGrassland Alliance. These are innovative ranch managementpractices that provide healthy local food, while improving landhealth and wildlife habitat so that multiple needs are served. Ifyou’ve been reading about some of these practices in the Co-opConnection News, now is the time to see it in action.

Holistic Management helps ranchers and farmers look at theland in a new way so they can address the root cause of complexbiological problems. They focus on restoring ecosystem process-es that create healthier soil and regenerate the land. By planningand carefully managing the movement of livestock to mimicnature, Holistic Management practitioners improve the captureof rainfall, making the land more resilient to drought, improveforage growth and create better habitat, not only for livestockand wildlife, but for people too. One of the interesting demon-

strations at the Piojo Ranch Day will be a rainfall simulator, which showsthe impact of rainfall on land that is managed in different ways. HolisticManagement practitioners raise healthy food while also benefiting theircommunity by improving water quality, creating wildlife habitat, and reduc-

ing the impact of droughts and flooding.

Whether you simply want to spend a day atan organic ranch learning more about howyour food is raised, or are interested in ranch-ing, grass-finishing beef, marketing throughcooperatives, organic certification, irrigationsystems, low-stress livestock handling tech-niques, or land stewardship, you’ll find thisday informative.

Here’s what you can expect:• See what land managers are doing tomaintain land health and profitability in achanging environment • Learn how to mitigate the effects of

drought with holistic ranching practices and irrigation infrastructure • Understand effective water cycling, the use of ditch, pivot, and strategicmovable irrigation systems, and how to protect riparian areas• Develop and practice skills to identify indicators of good soil health andeffective water cycling • Discuss practical grazing strategies to improve water use and land production • Explore profitable grassfed beef marketing through cooperatives and therequirements and benefits of being a certified organic beef producer • Delve into low-stress livestock handling techniques• Hear how Holistic Management enables producers to better manage risk,make better decisions and enjoy the benefits of sustainable agriculture

The speakers list includes a number of well-known sustainable agricultureexperts and local food advocates, including La Montañita’s own InterimGeneral Manager, Bob Tero, as well as:• Kirk Gadzia, Holistic Management Certified Educator• Clint Hoss, Piojo Ranch, General Manager• Lynn Locatelli, DVM• John and Gail Tunberg, Tunberg Resources, LLC• Brenda Simpson, New Mexico State Rangeland Management Specialist,

NRCS• Daniel K. Bloedel, NRCS Resource Conservationist• Rick Kingsbury, Panorama Meats

HMI is an Albuquerque-based international non-profit organizationwhose mission is to educate people to manage land for a sustain-able future. The advance registration fee is $20 per person and includeslunch. You can get all the details and register on the HMI website: holisticmanagement.org/piojo/

BY BRETT BAKKER

Having just entered my twenty-fourth year of theorganic certification biz, I have mixed feelings. Despitewhat the USDA/National Or-

ganic Program (NOP) says to us certi-fiers about keeping it “Sound &Sensible,” we often prefer to downgradeto “Simple & Stupid.” Following regula-tions that were not written to be under-stood by mere mortals can be madden-ing and burdensome. Even certifiersdebate the meaning vs the intent vs thelegal obligation we bear even if we dis-agree with the rule.

It was simpler by far before the feds gotinvolved (isn’t everything?) in 2002, butat the same time, it is valuable to haveone system rather than dozens of individual sets of rules based onwhat each certifier thought was appropriate. This way, “organic”—for better or worse—means the same thing anywhere in the US,as well as Canada, the EU, Japan, and other nations that haveorganic equivalency agreements with the US. Sure there are moreexceptions and loopholes than the average organic consumerwould expect; (the [d]evil is in the details, right?) but the factremains that—depending on which estimate you believe—thereare something like seventy-five million acres of certified organicfarmland worldwide. True, much of it still monocultured ordevoted to animal feed and for products only wealthy consumerscan afford, but the fact remains that all those acres are free from“Prohibited Synthetic Materials” like fertilizers, insecticides, her-bicides, and fungicides. And that can’t be a bad thing!

On the down side, sometimes I feel like I’m working for all the BigBox stores that have an organic line of food. Even the smaller-big-box “natural” chains are a bit unnerving. None of us hippies ever

P I O J O RA N C H OP E N GAT E WO R K S H O P:

GETYOUR BOOTSIN THE DIRT

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

expected anything like this decades ago. We just figured there’d be foodco-ops sprouting up like fast-food joints so every dollar would be spentat a local establishment even if the produce and products were notalways local (no way that climate-specific crops like olive oil, rice,bananas, coffee, or chocolate, etc., can be grown in every corner of theworld). At least today the average person is now familiar with the wordorganic, even if most don’t know what it really means.

So are we done yet? Is this the way we want things to contin-ue and remain? Of course not. There are always improvementsto be made to truly change the system rather than just addinga new tweak on the same old mess. Now, just what that willmean has as many answers as there are people who eat andwho farm.

I don’t know about you, but I like the variety of people we goton this here sphere. Contrary to my know-it-all-yoga-veggie-seventeen-year-old-self, I certainly don’t want everyone in theworld to think like me. What a boring and dismal place thatwould be!

Organic certification is not the only answer. It is just oneapproach to consumer protection when moving large amounts

of food around the globe. Don’t get me started on that!

The local food movement is a good harbinger but its downside is thatmuch of it is sold only on that undefined premise as well as unverifiedclaims of varying degrees of “organic-ness.” And any use of pesticideis local to someone, no matter if the profits of the food producedthereof stay in the local economy or not.

R. Crumb once said, “The best answer anybody has come up withyet for all of our problems is just to sit and do nothing.” I’m notquite at that point yet but I do like the main point to be taken fromMasanobu Fukuoka’s classic tome One Straw Revolution. In essence,instead of approaching farming (and by extension our lives andconundrums) by saying “Let’s try this! Let’s try that,” Fukuoka says“How about not trying this; how about not trying that?” As I saidearlier, keep it simple and stupid.

ORGANIC FORBETTER OR WORSE

itchygreen tthhuummbb

restore and protect June 2015 3

tural damage to roads and trails. Fortunately, rangers and crews had for-tified the Jersey Bounce barriers with sandbags around the Visitor Center.They had the foresight to put in two floodgates where the trail from theVisitor Center to the ruins crosses the sandbag barrier. They managed toclose the floodgates before the waters struck; the gates held and theVisitor Center escaped any damage.

With no federal funding for seasonal employ-ees because of the federal “sequester,” the$10,000 raised by Friends of Bandelier pro-vided relief for the busy summer season,sponsoring two seasonal workers for a totalof three months; otherwise, it was all Friendsof Bandelier volunteers.

Board of Trustee’s President DorothyHoard wrote:“2014 marked the 50th anniversary of theWilderness Act of 1964. In commemora-tion, the Monument staff and Friends ofBandelier hoped to relocate two trailheads

on State Road 4 that lead into the Bandelier Wilderness. Unfortunately,the new trailheads are in habitat of the Jemez Mountains salamander,recently added to the national endangered species list, and before anywork could start, areas have to be proven clear of salamanders. Onceagain, Mother Nature had her say. Salamanders must keep their skinmoist in order to breathe, so they only come to the surface during themonsoon season. But in 2014 the entire West was in the midst of a severedrought. When the rains did come, they were initially spotty. Friends ofBandelier volunteers scratched the ground and turned over rocks and logs.The good news is that they found nothing, so work on the trailheads wasdone. The bad news is that there were several herpetology buffs on thehunt who would really like to have seen a Jemez Mountain salamander.”

The Friends of Bandelier will continue to work to sustain the BandelierMonument Park for us all to enjoy. This month your bag donation will goto the Friends of Bandelier. Your bag credit donations are also in recogni-tion of Board of Trustees President, Dorothy Hoard, who for decades,until her recent passing, spearheaded the organization and its work onbehalf of this national treasure. While her loss is deeply felt, the Friendsof Bandelier continues its work. In one of her last blogs on the Friends ofBandelier website she wrote: “For 26 years with the Friends, I've had toreference the old Chinese curse ‘May we live in interesting times.’ Thetimes don't seem to be getting less interesting.”

BRING A BAG, DONATE THE DIME and help Friends of Bandelier sothat we all can enjoy the ecology and culture of Bandelier.

Bandelier National Monument is located in northcentral New Mexico near Santa Fe. The park wasestablished in 1916 as an archaeological preserve for

pueblo ruins dating from the 1100s C.E. The non-profitorganization Friends of Bandelier is a group of peo-ple who love the monument. A Board of Trusteesgoverns their activities under a formal Memorandumof Agreement with the National Park Service. Parkrangers request their help on special projects and theFriends of Bandelier try to meet their needs. Theywork to provide activities and information on keyissues affecting the monument, through letters, fieldtrips, and media announcements.

Only a small area of the 32,000-acre NationalMonument Park is developed. The remainder is wildbackcountry, much of which is included in theNational Wilderness Preservation System. It is abeautiful land of high, level mesas cut by straight-walled canyons, some more than 500 feet deep. Within thisrugged landscape are the remains of a once-thriving culturethat populated the area between approximately 1150 and1550. Ruins range in size from small field houses and housesof a few rooms to large pueblos of several hundred rooms.

Management at Bandelier concentrates on protecting andinterpreting the ancient cultural remains and the landscapeitself. Rangers offer a wide range of interpretive activities atthe Visitor Center. During the summer, artisans from localpueblos demonstrate the ancient crafts of the pueblo peoples.The Friends of Bandelier try to help where they can do themost good. They provide support for: archaeology, educa-tion, handicap access, Native crafts, visitor amenities, andscientific research. The main function of the Friends ofBandelier is to provide funding for activities and projects inthe park for which the National Park Service does not or can-not provide.

The year 2013 was not a good one for Bandelier. NewMexico was in the midst of a severe drought, then delugedwith a wicked series of storms that severely affected the park.Los Alamos received over 7 inches in three days (yearly aver-age is 18 inches!). Frijoles Canyon had one flood that Julythat destroyed newly restored trails in the canyon. InSeptember, storms closed the park for a week and did struc-

The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance(NMWA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3), grass-roots, environmental organization dedicat-

ed to the protection, restoration, and continuedrespect of New Mexico’s wildlands and wildernessareas. The primary goal of the New MexicoWilderness Alliance is to ensure these lands protec-tion and restoration through administrative designa-tions, federal Wilderness designation, and ongoingstewardship.

Founded in 1997, they achieve their mission throughadministrative protection, federal wilderness designation,and ongoing stewardship. Their membership comes fromall corners of New Mexico and across the nation and theirorganizing efforts span the state and involve many diversegroups, including ranchers, sportsmen, land grant holders,acequia communities, tribal and religious leaders, scien-tists, youth, and community leaders. NMWA is the onlystatewide wilderness group in New Mexico with a proventrack record of building diverse coalitions to protect ourpublic lands.

Join the NMWA June 6: Rafting Rio Grande Del NorteNational Monument

The Taos Box is the centerpiece of one of theUS’s first Wild and Scenic Rivers, and a pre-mier Class IV whitewater rafting run.Between John Dunn Bridge, at the mouth ofArroyo Hondo, and Taos Junction Bridge,near Orilla Verde Recreation Area, are 17miles of rafting excitement. We welcomefirst-time rafters 12 years of age and older.You should be in good health and a goodswimmer. Our guides offer two types ofcrafts on the Class 4 section of the river:Experienced paddlers, in good shape, may

request the more exciting paddle boat (not for the faint of heart),or you can opt for the oar-powered craft where the guide does thework and you hang on. In case of low river flow, the trip may bemodified to the Lower Gorge.

June 12-14: Gila NF Wilderness InventoryFrisco Canyons Inventory OutingLearn how to properly perform an inventory documenting wildlife,naturalness, and opportunities for primitive forms of recreation.

For more information, to register for the outings, or to makea donation, go to www.nmwild.org.

wilderness ALLIANCENEW MEXICO

SUSTAINING AN

ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURALTREASURE

CO-OP PROGRAM DONATE YOUR BAG CREDIT!

BRING A BAG... DONATE THE DIME!

THIS MONTH BAG CREDIT DONATIONS GO TO:FRIENDS OF BANDELIER: Restoring and protecting our environmental and cultural treasures at Bandelier NationalMonument.

In April your Bag Credit Donations totaling $2,604.64 went to the Water Groups Coalition. THANK YOU!

PROTECT AND ENJOY OURENIRONMENTALTREASURES

Co-op ValuesCooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility,democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of theirfounders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of hon-esty, 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 News is published by La Montanita Co-opSupermarket to provide information on La Montanita Co-opSupermarket, the cooperative movement, and the links between food,health, environment and community issues. Opinions expressed here-in are of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Co-op.

WESTSIDE3601 Old Airport Ave. NW

505-503-2550

Alameda Blvd.

Old Airport Ave.

Coors

Blv

d.

Old

Airport

Ave

.CO

-OP

FFRRIIEENNDDSS OOFF

BBAANNDDEELLIIEERR

BY JASMINE CECELIC OF WILDHOOD FARM

We’ve all heard that pollinators are in trouble.Monarch butterflies are disappearing, beecolonies are collapsing, the climate is chang-

ing… But what can we do about it? Aside from writingangry letters to various politicians about chemical use andbuying as much local, organic produce as possible, whatactions can we take to directly affect pollinators in a pos-itive way? Fortunately, there are many things we can do,and virtually all of them are both easy and cost-effective.

When we think of pollinators, most people generallythink of bees and butterflies. Though there are thousandsof pollinators within these two categories, wasps, flies, birds, bats, bee-tles, and ants are all important pollinators as well. So the simplest, mosteffective broad-reaching thing you can do is simply, to not do. Leaveareas unmowed, untilled, and utterly untidied. Dedicate an entire areaof your yard to pollinators by leaving it wholly undisturbed. In manycases, this can mean simply mustering up the courage to do away withmany of the precepts we were raised with—the courage to view land-scapes with new eyes. Those aren’t weeds and unkempt brush piles,those are homes! For example, dandelions are a very important earlysource of forage for nectar and pollen gatherers.

In the category of bees alone there are over 4,000 species in NorthAmerica and the vast majority of these species need bare, undisturbedsoils to nest in. Many others, like bumblebees and carpenter bees, needareas that have gone undisturbed for 2-3 years consecutively, as theylive in old mouse middens, aged grass tussocks, and the stems of lastyear’s plants. If you are a grower, you have undoubtedly heard aboutthe benefits of crop rotation.

Take it to the next level by not only planting things like corn and sun-flowers in a new area, but by also leaving the previous plantings ofthese crops in place. These are excellent stems for stem-nesting bees.They will lay their young in the stems towards the close of the season,from which their young will hatch the next spring. But this can onlyhappen if the stems are left in place all winter and through the nexthatching season (generally happens until the end of June). To make atruly wild habitat, pile and leave sticks, blocks of wood, stumps, and/orbranches, as well as rocks of various sizes. This will not only improveyour habitat for pollinators, but it will provide homes for many otherbeneficial insects as well.

pollinator awareness June 2015 4

A step beyond the benefits of simply “not doing”is to promote native pollinator plantings in theseundisturbed areas. The easiest way to achievemaximum plant germination balanced with min-imum effort and human disturbance in a givenarea is to make seed balls. In a bucket, combineclay soil with sand and a bit of straw to make anadobe mixture that sticks together well and staysin golf-sized balls when formed. Add a native pol-linator seed mixture to the adobe, make balls,and allow them to dry fully (generally about twodays). Once you have these dry clay seed ballsready, simply toss them in an area to be re-vege-tated, and let Mother Nature do the rest! This isan ancient indigenous re-vegetating techniquethat is still the most effective method we have forre-seeding large areas or degraded soils in the aridsouthwest. Plants of the Southwest has manyappropriate seed mixtures you can choose from,or simply go out and (responsibly) collect yourown seed.

Beyond that, there are many constructed formsof habitat you can make or buy to provide fur-ther homes and benefits to various pollinators(beehives and houses, pollinator hotels, bird andbat houses, etc.). Every pollinator is different,and most are very particular about the shape,site-situation, and dimensions of where they laytheir young. Offering many varied types and

BY TOMÁS AND ERIN RADCLIFFE

Black-chinned hummingbirds began arriving inAlbuquerque in early April. They can be ob-served throughout the city all summer and well

into October, along with fall migrants like Rufous andBroad-tailed Hummingbirds.

The recipe for hummingbird nectar is simple: one partsugar to four parts water. But keeping your feederclean and your nectar fresh—and the hummingbirdssatiated and safe—requires work and dedication. Hereis some advice on how to do right by these tiny, mirac-ulous birds.

Use only conventional, plain white sugar for yourhummingbird nectar. While buying organic sugar is amore environmentally sound option for almost everyother occasion, organic sugar is too high in iron forhummingbirds to safely metabolize—and the samegoes for raw sugar, brown sugar, and molasses. Alsoavoid using honey to make nectar, since it can harborfungal growth harmful to hummingbirds.

Do not add red food coloring or other dyes to thenectar, since it may be carcinogenic tohummingbirds. Studies have shown thatthe birds have no preference for red overclear nectar, and the red or red-and-yellowcaps, lids, and floral designs ubiquitous onfeeders are more than sufficient to attracthummingbirds.

Put your feeder in a shady, safe location.Keeping your feeder out of direct sunlightfor most of the day will cut down on mold.Make sure that your feeder is not in a locationthat can allow for ambush by outdoor cats, whokill hundreds of millions of wild birds in theUnited States each year. Despite their swiftness,hummingbirds are among these casualties.

Change the nectar often—at least every few days,and as often as daily when the temperature gaugeis pushing three digits. You do not need to boil themixture; however, doing so helps the sugar gran-ules to dissolve and makes the nectar more resist-ant to mold. Boiling is essential if you intend tomake a big batch to store in the fridge (nectar cankeep for up to two weeks if refrigerated).

styles of habitat is the best way to provide somethingfor everyone. For instance, mason bees/blue orchardbees need tubes 9/16” wide and at least 6” long—per-fectly horizontal, not at an angle. You can find thesetubes online. What these tubes emulate are beetle tun-nels made in old, dead wood. Leaf-cutter bees (anoth-er important native pollinator that does NOT harmcrops or landscaping, despite popular misconcep-tions) use almost the exact same habitat as masonbees, though they like their diameter slightly smaller.Making these homes yourself is quite easy, once youhave the dimensions. Additionally, the various differ-ent species of bee and wasp that you will be provid-ing homes for generally do not compete. They willnest right next to each other with no problem. As longas there are a decent amount of flowers in an area,competition for flower resources isn’t a problemeither. Many flowering plants react to pollinators har-vesting their nectar and pollen by actually producingmore of both.

Most native pollinators are extremely docile, if notlacking a stinger altogether. Unlike honeybees andyellow jackets, the vast majority of insect pollina-tors that are most likely to use constructed homeswill completely ignore you. If you do not disturbthem they will never bother you (putting thesehomes in a place that you are not likely to disturbor walk in front of is also a good idea). Worriedabout what the neighbors will say about your“weedy” side yard? Get the neighborhood kids to paint fun and colorful signs explaining yourintent: “Don’t Spray, Pollinator Habitat” or “WildGardens Are the Bee’s Knees!”

For further information visit www.xerces.org,www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com, or our own web-site www.wildhoodfarm.com to see examples of pol-linator houses.

If you have any questions or concerns aboutthese issues, please feel free to contact usdirectly at wildhoodfarm@gmail.com. Thankyou and BEE WELL!

IN THE CATAGORY OF BEES alonethere are OVER 4,000 SPECIESin North America and the vast majority of these speciesneed bare, undisturbed soils to nest in.

Keep your feeder clean. A dirty, moldy feeder can hurt or kill humming-birds. For this reason, it’s a good idea to select a feeder that is easy to takeapart and clean. If you have a long-neck feeder, you will need to acquire abottlebrush. A good scrubbing and hot water should be enough to get

your feeder clean, and it’s best to avoid detergentand soap altogether. If you have mold buildup, soakyour feeder in a mixture of 1/8 cup of bleach andone gallon of water for at least an hour.

Slight specks of mold or any cloudiness to the nec-tar are signs that you should change your nectarimmediately. Even without these signs and in mildweather, do not let more than a handful of dayspass without cleaning your feeder and changingthe nectar. If you’ll be out of town for a few days,

consider taking the feeder down until you get back.

Bigger is not better. Unless your feeder gets heavy traffic, to keep fromwasting nectar, consider opting for a smaller feeder or filling your feed-er with just enough nectar to last the couple or few days until your nextchange and cleaning.

Providing nectar in a hummingbird feeder can bring a most miraculousaspect of wild nature to your window for your observation and enjoy-ment. Doing so can also provide a valuable caloric supplement to thehummingbirds, especially for those who arrive early, before many flow-ers are in bloom and before flying insects (which make up 60% of theirdiet) are plentiful. However, there is no substitution for providing a safeand vital hummingbird habitat with a variety of regionally native plantswith blossoms that are staggered from early spring to early fall.

FEEDINGHUMMINGBIRDSPREPARING NECTAR AND OTHERHUMMINGBIRD FEEDERBASICS

AMPERSAND SUSTAINABLE LIVING CENTERLEARNING FOR THE FUTURE

Ampersand is an off-grid working demonstration sitethat hosts residencies, retreats, internships, and class-es. They focus on sustainable systems, including per-maculture, land restoration, organic gardening, pas-sive solar design, and wise water techniques.

June 6: Earth, Straw, and Salvage BuildingAn overview of earth building techniques. This is ahands-on experience with cob, strawbale, and earth-bag techniques. 10am to 4pm

June 13: Arid Land RestorationAn introduction for healing degraded landscapes.

You'll learn to read storm water flows and how tocreate micro-climates for moisture and regenera-tive vegetative growth. 10am to 4pm

June 27: Rain Harvesting and Greywater Systems Learn the basics of rain collection systems. Thisworkshop covers the essentials of greywater sys-tems. 10am to 4pm

For details including registration and fees contactAmpersand Learning Center at www.ampersandproject.org

PEACEFULLY PROMOTINGPOLLINATORS

111100001111

NationalPOLLINATORWEEK isJune 15-21

MIRACULOUS

Care for the Land, Care for PollinatorsCare for PeopleProtect PollinatorsSupport BiodiversityPlant Native HabitatProtect Existing HabitatProvide Water SitesPartner with Beekeepers, Farmers,

Gardeners, Food Activists, Ranchers, and Land Managers

Prohibit Pesticides

PRINCIPLES TOSSUUPPPPOORRTTPOLLINATORS

FOR THE PLANTS’ SAKE:RESTORING THE BOSQUETHE YERBA MANSA PROJECT

The attitudes we adopt and the actions we take are shaping thefuture right now. Living in Albuquerque with the Rio Grandebosque running through the heart of our lives, we are a function-ing part of the ecosystem. We must ask ourselves what role willwe play in that system of interactions and interconnections. Willwe bring more demands or will we bring restoration? The YerbaMansa Project is an all-volunteer community service project

designed not only to restore the bosque’s riparianhabitat but also to educate the general public and pro-vide free educational opportunities for youth groups.

This endeavor is organized by Albuquerque Herbalismin partnership with the City of Albuquerque OpenSpace and other organizations. It includes an ongoingcommunity service project to restore the Albuquerquebosque along with new classes and community events.

The restoration work includes removing non-nativeunderstory plants in preparation to replant yerba mansain targeted locations that meet its habitat criteria. Theproject also includes an educational component thatwill focus on the bosque as critical habitat and native

medicinal plants with threatened habitats. Additionally we areworking with environmentally focused classrooms, homeschools,and youth groups to join the field crews and create an electronicPlants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque Field Guide for hikers toaccess via their cell phones at trailheads. The Yerba Mansa Projectis an opportunity to consider what we can give back to the plantsand the wilderness that nurture us.

The Yerba Mansa Project needs your support!GET INVOLVED, DONATE, AND FIND OUT MORE: www.albuquerqueherbalism.com/yerba-mansa-project. For more information email:albuquerqueherbalism@gmail.com or go to www.albuquerqueherbalism.com

YERBA MANSA PROJECT CLASSES: register and your tuitiongoes to fund the project• Bosque Wild Herb Walk: Saturday, June 6, 2–4pm• Medicinal Plants of the Middle Rio Grande: Saturday, June 27,9:30am–2pmDetails and registration: www.albuquerqueherbalism.com/yerba-mansa-project-events.html

great outdoors June 2015 5

BY DARA SAVILLE, ALBUQUERQUE HERBALISM

Throughout most of its history, the Rio GrandeBosque has been a system of wetlands, oxbowlakes, sandbars, and woodlands that migrated with

the wild and changing meander of the river. Seasonal flood-ing cleared debris and enriched the soil. Cottonwoods andCoyote Willows germinated and thrived in the periodicfloods and high water table. Although the valley has a longhistory of occupation dating back to Paleo times, it wasn'tuntil the 1800s that humans began to have a significantimpact on the ecology. With the growing numbers of Anglomigrants in the valley came large-scale agriculture, irriga-tion systems, livestock grazing, and logging. These activitiesin turn created soil erosion, a large sediment load in theriver, and increased flooding. To control flooding, a series ofmajor interventions ensued.

The 20th century was marked by the construction of sev-eral major dams along with hundreds of miles of irrigationcanals. Additional engineering projects included the drain-ing of wetlands, the dredging and trenching of the river,and the installation of jetty jacks. These intensive controlson the ecosystem along with increasing urbanization haveresulted in a 60% replacement of the entire Rio Grandesystem with agriculture and urban development, riverflows decreasing to 1/6 of their historic levels, a significantreduction in channels and wetlands, the invasion of manynon-native species, increased wildfires, and a dramaticdecline in the reproduction of the native keystone species:cottonwoods and willows.

Today we find our Rio Grande bosque in uncertain times.The population of mature cottonwoods born in the lastgreat flood of 1941 is nearing the end of its natural life withfew young trees to become elders of the forest. Invasive treespecies such as Russian olive, saltcedar, mulberry, tree ofheaven, and Siberian elm have the advantage in the absenceof flooding and are expected to replace the 2 million-year-

BY SUSAN CLAIR

According to the Canadian Honey Council, honeybees tap abouttwo million flowers and fly 50,000 miles to make a pound ofhoney. Imagine! Perhaps that little gem of information will come to

mind the next time you buy a delicious bottle of raw honey at your farmers’market or favorite Co-op store.

The first National Pollinator Week—initiated by the Pollinator Partnershipand unanimously approved by the US Senate (Sen. Resolution 580) and theUSDA—was held in June 2007. As crucial as the pollinators are to our foodsupply, they really deserve more than seven days of appreciation.

We voice our appreciation for their pollinating our food supply and beautify-ing our ornamental gardens, but there’s more we can do. In our gardens andout in the fields, we can choose to significantly limit or eliminate chemicalpesticides. We can plant bee-friendly foliage on our properties and chooseflowering plants that blossom at different times in the season, so the bees canalways find pollen or nectar. A simple addition to your garden that will great-ly help your neighborhood pollinators is a shallow pan of clear water—withrocks for them to climb on and not fall into the water—and ensure that it iskept full and clean.

If you would like to participate further in the health and well-being of the localhoneybee population, I encourage you to get to know some New Mexico bee-keepers. You can attend free monthly meetings of the Albuquerque Beekeepers(http://abqbeeks.org/) and become a supporting member of the New MexicoBeekeepers Association (www.nmbeekeepers.org/). Both organizations provideuseful information, bring in top-notch guest speakers, and can introduce you tolocal beekeepers who can serve as mentors or simply answer your questionsabout honeybees.

Consider becoming a beekeeper! Last year, the New Mexico BeekeepersAssociation, in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque Open SpaceDepartment, launched the Certified Beekeepers Apprentice Program. It’s atwo-year, comprehensive education program in which experienced beekeepersteach the best practices of urban beekeeping—the first-ever such program inNew Mexico. All 24 of the 2014 group of students completed their first yearof the program, and most have returned for the second year of classes andhands-on experience. A new group of 24 students are enrolled in the 2015program, some traveling from as far away as Clovis, New Mexico, and St.Michaels, Arizona. Some of the students are already beekeepers but want tolearn more, most have no experience working with bees and are eager tolearn. These students are important for future honey yields and in helping tokeep the regional honeybee population healthy and thriving.

Susan Clair has serves as program coordinator for the CertifiedBeekeepers Apprentice Program, along with a dedicated and talentedplanning committee and first-rate New Mexico beekeepers.

old cottonwood forest by the end of the century ifwater management practices remain unaltered.Reduced water levels threaten native plants andcreate a high fire danger. The riparian zones of theSouthwest have transformed and desert bosqueenvironments have become some of the mostthreatened ecosystems anywhere. This shiftingenvironment is the habitat that supports yerbamansa and a long list of other plants and animals.The balance between meeting the water needs ofthirsty Southwest development and allowingenough water to remain in the wilderness forplants, animals, and the earth itself is always deli-cate and fraught with conflicting views. As thepopulation grows, the demand for water diversionwill increase and the resources available to ourbosque natives will likely decline unless we makeecosystem conservation a priority.

FOR FLORA AND FAUNA MAKE ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION A PPPPRRRRIIIIOOOORRRRIIII TTTTYYYY!!!!

The population of MATURE COTTONWOODSborn in the last great flood of 1941 is nearing THE END OF ITSNATURAL LIFE.

HONEYBEES WORK HARD!

HELP HONEYBEESCERTIFIED BEEKEEPERS APPRENTICE PROGRAM

AA DDEELLIICCAATTEE

EECCOOSSYYSSTTEEMM

BY SUSAN CLAIR

When you purchase foods and preparemeals, do you consider the various col-ors you’ve selected? We know we’re sup-

posed to eat our greens, whether in solid form, soups,or smoothies. The focus on greens is important, ofcourse, as long as we also include Nature’s gorgeousrainbow of other foods. Doing so is the easiest way to ensure that we’regetting all the nutrients we need for proper organ function, cellularhealth, energy, and overall vibrancy and nutritional balance.

All fruits and vegetables, whatever their color, contain natural chemicalcompounds—called phytonutrients—that help to promote optimumhealth by supporting the body’s immune system. You likely have heardof antioxidants, which are naturally-occurring phytonutrients. We needto eat an abundance of colorful foods rich in antioxidants because theyscavenge the free radicals that are byproducts (waste) of our internal

ings, workshops, other meetings and activities. Inexchange, board members are compensated with anannual stipend of $1,800. The Secretary receives$2,700 and the President receives $3,600. Boardmembers are expected to serve the full three-yearterm to which they are elected.

While it is customary for boards to seek prospectivemembers with management-related skills, ourapproach is different. Our comprehensive policiesand the management reporting that is required forthem allow the board to simultaneously ensure suc-cessful Co-op performance and still focus on the big-ger picture mentioned earlier. To help keep theboard on this path, here’s what we are looking for ina candidate:• First and foremost, be dedicated to the well-beingof the Co-op and its owners;• Have a propensity to think in terms of systems andcontext;• Be honest and have independent judgment,courage, and good faith;• Be able and eager to deal with values, vision, andthe long term;• Be willing and able to participate assertively in dis-cussions and abide by board decisions and the intentof established policies;• Be comfortable operating in a group decision mak-ing environment, sharing power in a group process,and delegating areas of decision making to others.

Our focus on the long term, on clear definitions ofroles, and on respectful and productive dialoguehas clearly paid off as the Co-op continues tothrive despite economic conditions and a greatdeal of competition.

We encourage prospective candidates to attendmonthly board meetings so they may better under-stand how the board governs. Meetings are alwaysheld on the third Tuesday of each month, starting at5:30pm. The location is the Immanuel PresbyterianChurch, southeast across Carlisle from the Nob Hillstore. Dinner is served to all attending, starting a lit-tle before 5:30pm.

Nominations start July 20 and end on August 20.The candidate application packet will be availablestarting July 20, as paper copies from the information desk and electronically from the Co-op’s website. TO QUALIFY AS A CANDIDATE,YOU MUST BE A CURRENT MEMBER AS OFJULY 1, 2015. YOUR COMPLETED APPLICA-TION MUST BE RETURNED BY AUGUST 20TO BE VALID.

Board elections will be held from November 1stthrough November 14th. Our annual meeting andcelebration will be held on Saturday, October 24, atthe Santa Fe Farmers Market Pavillion. Candidatesare encouraged to attend this meeting to have theopportunity to address members regarding theircandidacy. As we have done in the last few years,the board will offer a list of candidates it feels arequalified to serve. Full information about thisprocess will be included in the candidate packetavailable July 1 on line or in Co-op stores.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT USAT bod@lamontanita.coop, or contact ArianaMarchello, Chairperson of the Nominationsand Elections Committee, at 505-570-0743 oramarchello@gmail.com.

BY ARINA MARCHELLO, BOARD PRESIDENT

Your Co-op needs you! The nominations process for LaMontañita’s Board of Directors will be starting nextmonth, and we want to let you know how you can partic-

ipate. Each year the Co-op holds elections for three of its ninedirectors, with terms running for three years. This year, there willalso be an election to fill a one-year term, making four seats intotal. As elected representatives of the 16,000 plus member/own-ers, the board’s job is to provide strategic vision and ensure theCo-op’s long-term stability and success. The work is exciting,challenging, and rewarding.

The Co-op is a $37 million-a-year operation with six stores:four in Albuquerque, one in Gallup, and one in Santa Fe.Albuquerque is also the site of the Cooperative DistributionCenter (CDC), which is our foodshed warehouse, serving producers,processors, and retailers throughout our region. We are pleased to saythat all of the Co-op’s units continue to grow and improve in their per-formance. Finally, our many public outreach programs bring peopletogether and strengthen our communities.

Why Run for the Board?The board’s work requires discipline and creativity. We govern bymeans of a framework called Policy Governance. At our monthly meet-ings, the board reviews management’s work by examining performancereports and comparing them to policy standards we have established.The board governs by declaring, through its policies, the results it wantsand the actions it wants the general manager to avoid while achievingthose results. Only by reviewing and adjusting these boundaries do weadjust the direction of the Co-op. We leave day-to-day operationaldetails to the general manager and his team (those are the people yousee every day as a shopper); we keep tabs on the stores on a monthlybasis through formal reporting. Very importantly, we spend almost halfour meeting time studying our world, learning about our owners’ needs,and imagining the future.

Overall, board members are expected to spend the equivalent of aboutthree hours a week on board duties, including committee work, train-

BOARD SERVICE: EXCITING, CHALLENGING, REWARDING

co-op news June 2015 6

membership isOOWWNNEERRSSHHIIPP!!

metabolism and, also, the result of stress, radiation,drugs, intense exercise without sufficient restperiods, and environmental pollutants. By eat-ing foods rich in antioxidants, we boost theimmune system, which helps to slow downthe aging of skin and other organs, resist com-mon seasonal illnesses, and greatly reduce therisk of chronic degenerative ailments thatinclude heart disease, high blood pressure,cancer, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, migraines,obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others.

The rainbow approach to good nutritionhelps you obtain an abundance of antioxidants andessential micronutrients such as specific vitamins, min-erals, and amino acids, to name a few. Nature has pro-vided us with all we need, and we can simply max outon the colors and enjoy the diverse flavors.

A great way to engage children in learning abouthealthy eating is to create a chart of foods of all dif-ferent colors and then talk about the various colorfulfoods to be included in the family meals.

SOURCE: www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/guest-authors on-natural-health/health-benefits-food-color-kids-eat-rainbow

SUSAN CLAIR has been leading “Eating for YourHealth” workshops since 2010, teaching how toimprove nutritional intake to boost immune sys-tem functionality, increase energy, and preventand reverse chronic degenerative diseases.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONS!

RUN FOR THEBOARD

BALANCING ON THE RAINBOW

HEALTHY FOODCHOICES!

YOURco-op...needs

YOU !

COOLING AND COLORFUL: FOODSFOR HOT DAYS A PARTIAL LIST/SHOULD BE ORGANIC

EATING FOR YOURHEALTH

SATURDAY, JUNE 2010:30AM-12:30PMA Community-Based Nutrition Workshop• Elements of a healthy lifestyle• Plant-based & animal proteins• Organic & conventional foods• Antioxidants & systemic alkalinity• Health benefits of herbs & spices• Fats & sweeteners• 30 easy, delicious recipes

Workshop Facilitator: Susan Clair, MCRP/MPA,Certificate in Whole-Foods Plant-Based Nutrition.Donation: Up to you, from $1 up to $10. Pre-registration required. For more information and toregister: 505-281-9888, clair@nmia.com

AppleBamboo shootBananaBarleyCucumberEggplantGrapefruitKelp

LettuceLoquatMandarin orangeMangoMarjoramMung beanMuskmelonPear

SOURCE: Chinese System of Food Cures – Prevention and Remedies,Henry C. Lu (1986)

PeppermintPersimmonRadishSeaweedSesame oilSpinachStar fruitStrawberry

TangerineWater chestnutWatermelonWheatWheat branCommon buttonmushroom

Cool off at the CO-OPcheck out the produce department for FRESH FAIR

LOCALLY GROWN VEGGIES AND FRUIT!

THE FOOD RAINBOW AND ITSHEALTH BENEFITS

RED: Healthy heart, good visionORANGE: Healthy heart, immune system health, good vision,clear skinYELLOW: Healthy lungs, immune system health, normalizesblood pressure, supports metabolismGREEN: Strong bones and teeth, immune system health, slowscell breakdownBLUE/PURPLE: Brain health for great memory, detoxing

SOURCE: www.swansonvitamins.com

Watch yourmailbox, either postor digital, for yoursurvey. Fill it out,turn it in and get 2one-time 15% OFFshopping trips! Letus know yourthoughts!

YOU OWN it!

LET USKNOW

WHATYOU THINK!

JUNE isMEMBERSURVEY month!

La Montañita Co-opis always trying toimprove, and this survey helps us seewhere we should focusour efforts. You ownthe Co-op, and we'regrateful that you takethe time to help usserve you and all ourother member-ownersbetter!

co-op news June 2015 7

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

united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs andaspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.

6/16 BOD Meeting, Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

6/20 Rocking Westside BBQ 11am-4pm

6/20 Santa Fe Solstice and Fathers’Day BBQ at the Santa Fe Co-op 11:30am-2pm, benefits the Santa Fe Animal Shelter

JUNE IS MEMBER SURVEY MONTH!Watch your mailbox, either post or digital, for your survey. Fill it out, turn it in and get 2–15% OFF shopping trips!

JuneCalendarof Events

BY BOB TERO

Iam honored to have been appointed by LaMontañita Co-op’s Board of Directors toassume the duties of the General Manager’s

position on an interim basis. While Terry leavesbig shoes to fill, our business is secureduring this period of transition as wehave excellent staff at all levels and theCo-op is healthy and growing.

I have been with the Co-op for almostnine years. I began my tenure with theCo-op as the Prepared Foods Co-ordinator working with the Deli depart-ments at all locations. This position wasexpanded to include working with theproduce, deli, and meat and cheese departments asthe Perishable Foods Coordinator. Currently I serveas the Operations Manager, and have been in thiscapacity for the last several years. In this position Iwork on all business associated with the operationsof all six of our retail store locations as well as theCo-op Distribution Center warehouse.

As part of my work as Operations Manager, I mon-itor budgets, payroll, margins, and oversee facilitiesmanagement. Additionally, I have been honored to

be able to work with a variety of local and regionalfarmers and ranchers to help create local producercooperatives, including the Sweet Grass BeefCooperative; move the Co-op Distribution Center toits current location; and bring in more local produc-

ers to build the local food system.

Over the course of my career I haveheld positions that required a simi-lar level of responsibility but nonemore exciting and important to meas is this job at the Co-op. I am ded-icated to cooperative philosophyand values, and will uphold themand put them into practice in everyway I can. I am honored to have the

opportunity to serve the Co-op and our communi-ties as Interim General Manager, and I consider it agreat privilege to do so.

I am eager to begin our work together. Pleasedo not hesitate to contact me with any ques-tions or input.

IN COOPERATION,BOB TERO

bobt@lamontanita.coop

INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER INTRODUCTION

The skin is the body’s largest organ. Not onlydoes it absorb up to 60% of what is applied to ittopically, it also serves as the body’s first line of

defense, protecting from daily environmental stresses.This continuous exposure often results in such things asskin irritations and decreased barrier function.

Because of this, ACURE, a natural skin, body, and haircare line, has made a commitment to offer safe and effec-tive personal care formulas that work to boost the skin’snatural functions and aid in protecting against these envi-

ronmental stresses. Free of syntheticingredients such as sulfates, phthalates,parabens, petrochemicals, and formalde-hyde donors, ACURE’s formulas includeclinically proven plant and food-basedingredients that work as nutritional sup-port for the skin.

Their Curoxidant Blend, comprised of five organic superfruits and herbs, provides high antioxidant support andboosts healthy cellular replication, reduces inflammation,

ACURE BODY CAREP R O D U C T S P O T L I G H T: H E A LT H A N D B E A U T Y D E P T.

and protects against UV damage. The patent-pendingSkin-Immune Technology, which includes targetedplant stem cells, Resveratrol probiotic, olive leaf,argan oil, and CoQ10, works to boost and supportthe skin’s own immune response and defense mecha-nisms. In addition, nutritious oils provide essentialfatty acids, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging sup-port, as well as hydration.

ACURE’s body care formulas are created to provide realresults using these clinically proven, natural ingredients.Feed your skin the nutrition it needs to perform optimallyby adding ACURE’s body washes and body lotions yourdaily routine. Look for ACURE products at your favoriteCo-op location.

S H O P Y O U R C O-O PFRESH FAIR LOCAL ORGANIC

or start a day early at the westside • we’re cookin’ • grass fed beef, steak & veggie options...

rockin’

BBQwestside co.op www.lamontanita.coop

saturday

JUNE20th11am-4pm

summer foods . live music . raffle . giveaways

outdoor grill . grass-fed beef burgers . steaks

veggie options . snacks . drinks . in.store samples

live radio remote 100.3 The PEAK 11am-1pm

music from Rock 101 Music Academy 2-4pm

CHICKEN SANDWICHES WITH CHILES, CHEESE & ROMAINE SLAWYIELD: Makes 4 servings

4 large dried guajillo chiles or dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed, seeded5 tablespoons olive oil, divided4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves3 cups thinly sliced romaine hearts1 cup thinly sliced red onion1, 7-ounce can pickled sliced jalapeños, drained, 1/4 cup juice reserved4, 6” to 7” long French baguette pieces, halved horizontally, toasted8 ounces feta cheese, sliced

Place chiles in medium saucepan; add water to cover generously and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain; reserve cooking liquid. Place chiles in processor; add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid and 4 tablespoons oil and puree until smooth. Transfer chile sauce to bowl; salt and pepper, to taste.

Reserve 6 tablespoons chile sauce for sandwiches. Brush remaining sauce all over chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly crosswise.

Mix lettuce, onion and jalapeños; add 1/4 cup reserved jalapeño juice to slaw and toss. Spread reserved chile sauce over cut sides of bread. Top bottom halves with chicken, then cheese, then some slaw. Cover and serve with remaining slaw alongside. — epicurious.com

Most men love to eat. And, as masters in the art of the grill, we all look forward to summertime outdoor meals where they man the BBQ. To celebrate DAD in an extra special way, reward him with a favorite combination of fresh air and fabulous food where he won’t have to do a thing. Here are a couple of zesty takes on classic meat and potatoes—and veggies too—picnic style.

FINGERLING POTATO SALAD WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES & BACONYIELD: Makes 12 servings

3 pounds fingerling potatoes1 tablespoon salt3 tablespoon white vinegar1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage1/2 cup oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes6 tablespoon finely chopped Vidalia onion4 slices bacon2/3 cup mayonnaise

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring potatoes, salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch to a boil. Cook potatoes at a gentle boil until tender, about 20 minutes, then drain. Transfer to a large bowl and sprinkle potatoes with vinegar. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Gently mix dressing into potatoes until all ingredients are evenly distributed and potatoes are well coated. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate.

Tip: Fingerlings and Red-skinned potatoes hold their shapes when boiled; Russets and Yukon Golds break apart, producing a fluffy texture. — countryliving.com

BRAZILIAN GRILLED SKIRT STEAK YIELD: Makes 6 servings

4 cloves garlic1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt2 teaspoons paprika2 teaspoons ground cumin1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander1 teaspoon ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/8 teaspoon ground cloves1 tablespoon olive oil2 1/2 pounds skirt steak (halved crosswise)

Mince garlic and mix with kosher salt. Stir together spices in a bowl, add garlic and oil and blend until paste forms. Pat steaks dry, then rub paste into meat. Place steak in a sealed large plastic bag for at least 8 hours in refrigerator.

Bring steaks to room temperature. Grill steak on lightly oiled grill rack for about 5 to 7 minutes or until medium rare. Serve with salad or as a sandwich. — picnicrecipesandgames.com

ROASTED EGGPLANT SANDWICH YIELD: Makes 6 servings

2 eggplant, quartered & cut into 1/4“ slices2 red onions, quartered & cut into 1/4” slices1/4 cup olive oil1 teaspoon salt1/2 lemon, juiced2 tablespoons chives1 loaf sourdough or country white bread, cut into 12 slices

Preheat oven to 450º. Prepare a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper or foil. Toss the eggplant, onion, olive oil and salt together in a large bowl. Spread the coated veggies on the prepared baking sheet in 1 layer. Shake the pan to make sure the vegetables lie flat and have the maximum possible surface area exposed.

Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies become soft and fragrant. With a spatula, flip the vegetables to brown on the opposite side. Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 10-20 minutes or until the vegetables are caramelized and browned.Transfer the caramelized vegetables to a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and chives until thoroughly coated.

Lay 6 slices of bread on a work surface. Slather each with the chive pesto (below), if using, and divide the eggplant among the slices. Add sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, other veggies and cheese. — meatlessmonday.com

CHIVE PESTO YIELD: Makes 6 servings

1 garlic clove, peeled1/4 cup cashews, toasted2 cups chives, choppedJuice of 1/2 a lemon1/4 cup olive oilsalt, to taste

In a food processor, pulse the garlic and cashews together until finely chopped. Add the chives and lemon juice. Blend until the herbs have begun to break down and become incorporated.

Slowly add the olive oil and pulse until the pesto reaches desired consistency, adding more oil if necessary to break down the cashews and chives. Season with salt, to taste. Spread on one slice of bread per sandwich, as you build the roasted eggplant sandwiches. Use the extra pesto for a pasta salad or a dip. — meatlessmonday.com

Ingredients are available as organic and/or local.

www.lamontanita.coop

1

2

3

4

56

7

8

9

10

11

12 13

14

16

15

17 18

19

20

21

23

22

He means the world to you. Your favorite Co-op Market has a diverse assortment of local, organic and fair trade items to make that exceptional guy feel celebrated.FOR THE RUGGED, OUTDOOR CAMPER TYPE: (1) To Go Bamboo Utensil Kit, the perfect toolkit for life on the go, heat & stain resistant (2) Stainless Steel Hip Flask, 5 ounces, for that special warming beverage during those colder nights (3) To Go Three Tier Tiffin, stores a perfect 3-course meal or picnic. Self-latching top container gives you the flexibility to pack just one meal or more. Ask Jen at Nob Hill (4) Lifefactory Water Bottles, various styles and colors, BPA free. Ask Aneshia at Rio Grande (5) Eco Vessel Mug, Double Barrel and insulated stainless steel mug (6) Don’t forget the JERKY! CH’ARKI is the ultimate lamb jerky, all natural, gluten free, preservative free and Casa Blanca, our local beef jerky with chile varieties. Ask James at Nob Hill.

KEEP HIM SMELLING NICE AND FEELING SMOOTH: (7) Aubrey créme de la shave ultra moisturizing shaving cream made with rich emollients and fruit extracts (8) Men’s Stock Northwoods pine scent aftershave balm for cool, comfortable skin (9) Burt’s Bees Natural Deodorant with oil of sage. Ask Susan at Nob Hill (10) Every Man Jack, no-foam, gel formula with squalene that softens and protects skin for a smooth, close shave (11) The ever popular Dr. Bronner’s Magic Organic Shaving Gel with Certified Fair Trade ingredients. Ask Michael in Santa Fe. (12) Badger Mustache Wax and Beard Oil, Certified Organic & 100% Natural (13) Maroma Essential Fragrance, long lasting, highly concentrated fragrances blended with natural essential oils. Ask Aneshia at Rio Grande.

HEALTH AND WELL BEING FOR STAYING ACTIVE: (14) Whole Earth & Sea contains a full range of nutrients needed to support the demands of physical stress, dietary limitations and metabolic inefficiencies. Men’s 50+ is also available. Ask Katherine at the Westside (15) Herbal tinctures from Herb Pharm Their seed to shelf process guarantees that their products are the purest, safest and most potent possible. Saw Palmetto supports healthy prostate function and Asian Ginseng for physical and mental energy and stamina. Ask Michael in Santa Fe (16) Vega Sport Nutrition System Clean, plant-based and natural, the three-stage Vega Sport Nutrition System: Energizer, Hydrator and Protein, is specifically developed to help athletes perform at their best before, during and after training and competition. Ask Aneshia at Rio Grande.

PLAY BALL AND GARDEN FUN: (17) The Earth Ball NASA satellite photos with glow in the dark cities for nighttime play. Ask Jen atNob Hill (18) Guard’n Eyes, the Bird Scaring Balloon to protect his garden from those thieving birds. (19) The Seed Ball Wild Bird Feeder with open mesh wire design welcomes clinging birds, while keeping water from pooling in the feeder. Ask Toni at Rio Grande.

HELPING THE BODY TO FEEL OH SO GOOD: (20) Bass Back Scratcher specially designed wooden pins for the best back scratch imaginable (21) Tiger Balm Ointment for your aches and pains. It works! Ask Michael in Santa Fe (22) Spoonk Acupressure Mats have the optimal number of 6200 stimulation points with ECO foam filling and are made in the USA. Lay back and relax (23) Stinky Marcel & Wee Marcel Socks, Whimsical organic cotton socks in brilliant colors for dad with matching socks for the wee one. Ask Aneshia at Rio Grande.

no-cook nutrition June 2015 10

PLANT-BASED GOAT CHEESE PESTODIP (GLUTEN-FREE)FROM ADRIENNE WEISS

SERVES: 4 / TIME: 30 MINUTES

The combination of vegan goat cheese and freshbasil pesto gives this dip a most unusual and tastyflavor. Served with fresh, steamed artichokehalves, it makes a beautiful, seasonal presenta-tion. Equally delicious, try it with an assortmentof crudités (cut up raw veggies) and/or crackerand bread choices.

Vegan Goat Cheese Ingredients:1/2 cup cashews, soaked at least 2 to 3 hoursJuice of half a lime1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar1/2 teaspoon salt

Basil Pesto Ingredients:1 cup fresh basil leaves3 cloves garlic, peeled1/3 cup almonds1 tablespoon liquid smoke (more if desired

for a smokier taste)1/2 cup water1/2 teaspoon salt

Vegan Goat Cheese Directions: In food processor or blender, combine cashews,lime juice, vinegar, and salt. Purée until smoothand well-blended, adding water only if necessary.This could take up to 2 to 3 minutes.

Basil Pesto Directions: In bowl of food processor or blender, combinebasil leaves, garlic, almonds, liquid smoke, water,and salt. Purée until smooth, adding water only ifor as needed. Combine pesto and vegan goatcheese in small bowl, mixing thoroughly. Can beserved immediately, but flavors blend better ifrefrigerated for at least 2 hours.

CHOCOLATE MINT GREEN SMOOTHIEFROM ADRIENNE WEISS

SERVES: 2 / TIME: 15 MINUTES

Green smoothies are easy to digest because whenthe fruits and greens are blended, the cell walls,where nutrients are encased, are broken, makingthem more readily available for the body's use.Packed full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and anti-oxidants, they are perfect first thing in the morningto kick start the day. Cacao (raw chocolate from thecacao bean) is a healthier addition to a greensmoothie than processed chocolate syrups or pow-ders because one benefits from the heat-sensitiveantioxidants, vitamins, and minerals as well.

1 cup non-dairy milk of choice, such as almond, coconut, hemp, or soy

1 mango, peeled and pitted1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries1 tablespoon chia seeds2 heaping tablespoons cacao powder3 cups baby spinach2 tablespoons mint chopped Crushed ice (optional)

Start by adding liquid to blender, followed by softfruit, then chia seeds and cacao. Add greens toblender last. Blend on high for 30 seconds or untilsmoothie is creamy. Add crushed ice if desired.

Cool Food forWARM DAYS

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION FOR 1 SERVING OF

PESTO DIP: (RECIPE MAKES 4 SERVINGS)

Calories: 178Calories from fat: 127Total fat: 14gSaturated fat: 2gTrans fat: 0gCholesterol: 0gSodium: 294mgTotal carbohydrate: 10g

Dietary fiber: 2gSugar: 2g

Protein: 6g

PEACHY GREEN GINGER SMOOTHIEFROM ADRIENNE WEISS

SERVES: 2 / TIME: 15 MINUTES

This "peachy good" drink combines all the ele-ments of a perfect smoothie. It blends greens(kale), fruit (blueberries and banana), proteinand healthy fats (chia seeds), with the amazinglypotent little root, ginger. Besides adding a realkick to the drink, ginger boasts anti-inflammato-ry properties, aids in digestion, and is believed toboost the immune system as well. This smoothieis filling, energizing, and delicious.

1 cup almond milk or non-dairy milk of choice2 ripe peaches, stones removed and flesh cut

into small chunks1 frozen banana, sliced1 teaspoon chia seeds1/2 inch cube fresh ginger peeled and grated

(more if a good kick is desired)1 handful kale

Add liquid to blender, followed by fruit, thenseeds and ginger. Add greens last. Blend on highspeed and serve immediately. If blender is olderor not so high-tech, add frozen banana bit by bitto spare machine and add little more milk ifneeded. Frozen peaches may be substituted iffresh aren't available.

RAW COCONUT CURRY SOUPADAPTED BY ADRIENNE WEISS FROM

CAFE GRATITUDE

SERVES: 4 / TIME: 30 MINUTES

This refreshing, rich golden soup combines avariety of flavors. The melding of sweet, spicy,and salty ingredients creates a unique and dis-tinct taste. These can be adjusted to one's likingsince some coconuts are sweeter than others andjalapeños can vary in heat. This soup pairs wellwith a seasonal crisp green salad for a light din-ner or lunch. It can easily be brought along to apicnic or other outdoor gathering as well.

Soup Ingredients:4 cups coconut milk2 tablespoons ginger, minced 3 cloves garlic, peeled2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice1/4 cup olive oil2 large dates, chopped1/2 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons tamari1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon curry powder2 jalapeño peppers (remove seeds for less heat)

Garnish Ingredients:Choose all or some of the following: 1 avocado, cubed1/3 cup diced tomato1/3 cup diced cucumber1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Add all but garnish ingredients to blender andpurée until smooth. Results should be a nice, richgolden soup. Taste and adjust flavors (see intro-duction). When soup is to liking, divide amongfour bowls. Top with chosen garnish ingredients.Serve room temperature or chilled.

no-cook nutrition June 2015 11

Mary Alice Cooper,MD

coolFOOD!

BY ARI LEVAUX

The question of how far food should travelbetween where it is produced and where it is con-sumed has become a frequent matter of passionate

debate. The popular rule of thumb is that the more local thefood, the better it is, and we've all heard of the many pur-ported benefits that eating locally has on local economies, theenvironment, and even one's health.

The discussion is often framed in terms of the greenhouse gasemissions created by food transport, with the presumptionthat local foods result in less carbon being burned, but thereare many instances where importing something from a faraway market ismore climate-friendly than trying to produce it locally.

But if you want to do right by the climate without getting bogged downby details, there are a few simple rules that can help cut through thenuances and guide your purchasing decisions.

One category of food that's pretty hard to justify shipping is food from adifferent hemisphere that's out of season at home, such as tomatoes andberries during the wintertime. This isn't simply a matter of the carbonfootprint of these goods. In demanding to eat them year-round you areabandoning your relationship to where you are. This relationship is one ofthe most important benefits of eating locally, and it influences otherimportant choices we make.

Climate activist Bill McKibben once told me his personal rule of thumbfor making food purchasing decisions. It's called the “Marco PoloException,” and it states that if a food is non-perishable enough thatMarco Polo could have brought it home from China in a sailboat, then wedon't need to worry about eating it, even if it's not local. But if a food isso perishable that it must be shipped refrigerated, and shipped quickly,then it's off the table.

We can't know, of course, whether or not a package of dried noodles wasflown across the ocean by plane. Most likely it was carried by a cargoship, which burns a lot less carbon than a plane. Even so, maritime ship-ping is responsible for about 4 percent of global carbon emissions, on parwith the carbon footprint of Japan. But the pasta could have been shippedby sailboat, with virtually no carbon cost.

food and environment June 2015 12

Pursuing a local foods diet, with flexibility provid-ed by the Marco Polo Exception, prepares your eat-ing habits for a day when certain foods fromaround the world might be shipped carbon-free, byboats similar to Polo's.

Jorne Langelaan co-owns a shipping company with afleet of two vessels, and plans for two more. Forsomeone whose income is derived from shipping andtrade, Langelaan has a surprising take on the practice.

Langelaan, whose company is called Fair-transport Shipping, would be the first to point outthat not all ships emit equally. One of his ships, theTres Hombres, is currently en-route to Europe ladenwith coffee, rum, and chocolate from the Caribbean.No carbon will be burned in the transport of theseindulgences, because the Tres Hombres is a sail-boat—the only engine-free transatlantic cargo ship inthe world.

But while the Tres Hombres and its sister sailboatthe Nordlys are inspirational and beautiful ways toship cargo, Langelaan and his partners at Fair-transport harbor no illusions that such old-fash-ioned technology is the key to countering globalwarming. The sailboats are reminders that fuel-based shipping isn't the only game in town, and areuseful for motivating and educating people, as wellas for delivering small amounts of cargo. But thefolks at Fairtransport have their sights set on a goal

FOOD TRANSPORT AND CLIMATE CHANGE that's both more realistic and more ambitious. They aredesigning a new, hybrid cargo ship that will run primarilyon wind-filled sails, but will also have an engine for usewhen necessary. Dubbed the Ecoliner, the boat will travel asfast as a conventional cargo ship, while using only half thepetroleum.

Despite these promising improvements over conventionalcargo ships, Langelaan looks at the Ecoliner as more of acrutch than a real solution. He fears that a more fuel-efficientvessel would simply encourage more long-distance shipping.

"Only products that are not available locally should betransported," he said, "and in a sustainable way." The rum,chocolate, and coffee on board the Tres Hombres are per-fect examples of such products. They can't be produced inEurope, and they can handle a slow passage on a sailboat.

In the grand scheme of things, the greenhouse gas emissionsfrom food transport are not a massive threat to the climate.Transportation of food only makes up between 4–10 per-cent of the total carbon emissions created by the food sys-tem, and adds up to much less than the carbon burned inthe production, processing, and packaging of food. Animalproducts tend to have especially large carbon footprints,which dwarf the amount of carbon used in their transport.

Keeping track of the impacts of various foods on a case-by-case basis can be overwhelming, but I would argue thatthinking about your food choices like this is akin to a med-itation practice that makes you a better person, similar torecycling, or riding your bike instead of driving, or volun-teering on a wind-powered cargo ship. None of theseactions will save the world by itself, but they add up, arecontagious, and get you into good habits.

As you remove some foods from your diet, they will bereplaced by new ones, sometimes with an accompanyinglifestyle shift. You want strawberries in the winter? First, fig-ure out how to stockpile a large strawberry stash this sum-mer, then, focus on storing those berries; dry them. Makejam, leather, sauce, or syrup. Doing so will ground you in tra-ditions that make use of preserved foods in winter.

You might end up with some products that could be trans-ported by the Tres Hombres, and perhaps traded for a bot-tle of ten-year-old balsamic vinegar with which to drizzle onfresh strawberries next year. At that point the Marco PoloException will become an exceptional treat.

will sail forFOOD

to a report published in the Cornell Chronicle, if all grainscurrently being fed to animals were switched tofeeding humans directly, an additional 800 mil-lion people could be fed.

If we choose organic produce and fruit, petrole-um-based chemical usage is lessened with a cor-responding reduced need for man-made fertiliz-ers and biocides. Fertile soils sequester a lot ofcarbon, too, something we could surely use inthis age of atmospheric CO2 being at an all-timehigh, having recently crossed the 400 ppmthreshold.

Additionally, focusing on eating more locally-grown food,whether it be from your own backyard or from a localgrower, keeps as much as twice the money close to home,because profits aren’t funneled back to corporate head-quarters. Eating seasonally helps in several ways as youfocus on eating more things grown and produced locally.Now you are boosting demand again, this time providingopportunities for expansion of farming and retail opera-tions in your community. Your choice also reduces an aver-age food shipping distance of nearly 1,500 miles to next tono miles at all, again saving on fossil fuel usage and reduc-ing CO2 emissions even more. The fresher the food themore nutritionally complete it is too!

Here in our beautiful high desert home, summer is upon usand your Co-op is ramping up the availability of locally-

BY SCOTT RICCI

If you picked up this issue of the Co-opConnection News, I am going to make theassumption that you, like me, have a pretty good

handle on what it takes to eat more healthfully intoday’s world of food-like substances. You most like-ly eat whole, sustainably-grown fruits, vegetables,and grains. If you also happen to be an O blood type(see www.dadamo.com for more information aboutthe Blood Type Diet), also like me, you would dovery well eating some animal proteins. Eating well-balanced, smaller portions of animal proteins coupled with choosing topurchase more sustainably-raised and harvested foods and meats, servesto lessen your ecological footprint.

It is certainly wonderful to know that our daily nutritive choices have a muchlarger effect than just on ourselves. They can positively affect the whole plan-et. The act of choosing sustainably raised, unprocessed foods creates demand.In our free market system, this demand causes systemic shifts in the way ourfood is produced. This in turn crowds out the unsustainable practices, there-by giving the environment a break. According to the Huffington Post, it takesover 500 gallons of water to raise one pound of chicken and over 1,800 gal-lons to raise a pound of beef! This isn’t taking into consideration how muchof our grains are used to feed animals rather than people directly. According

sourced, sustainably-grown fresh fruits and vegetablesand sustainably-raised meats and dairy products. Givelocal a try and be a proud supporter of our farmersand ranchers. Relish the fact that you are eating thefreshest, most nutritious foods available!

Farmers’ markets are another option providing sup-port for our local economy. You can also shrink yourcarbon footprint a little further by using that little cor-ner of your backyard or patio to grow some food. Asmall garden can not only provide fresh food andherbs, but is also a great way to relax and get recon-nected with nature. The kids love it too!

Ultimately, summer is a time of increased activity withlonger days. The heat makes the heavier meals of win-ter seem daunting, so take advantage of the varietyand tastes of fresh summer vegetables and fruits. Eatmore salads or lightly sautéed foods as meals.Summer’s theme is lighter and fresher with an eye onthe big picture of how our daily choices affect not onlyourselves and our families, but also our planet.

SCOTT RICCI is a graduate of the Institute forIntegrative Nutrition and the school of life. Hisskills include permaculture, gardening, handy-man, and holistic health coaching at ConfluenceHealth and Wellness. He specializes in workingwith self-described sensitive people. Contact:scottricci@hotmail.com

A HEALTHYANDBALANCED LIFE

BY DANIELLE MASCARENAS

The Junior Scientist Outreach Program(JSOP) is an educational science campat the Westside Community Center. JSOPis a hands-on program that brings infor-mal science education to youth completelyfree of charge. Whether your child is newto our program or a returning camper, theyare guaranteed to have fun learning aboutscience and performing their own experiments!

The Junior Scientist Outreach Program is a student-run organi-zation in Albuquerque, NM, that is dedicated to engaging youngstudents in science for the purposes of both increasing the diver-sity of science and medical professionals and bridging educa-

tional gaps by providing informal science educationprograms through creative community building.

JSOP is a sustainability-themed program pro-vided free of cost to students in the SouthValley of Albuquerque at our host institution,the Bernalillo County Westside CommunityCenter. We partner with several other localagencies, including the Albuquerque/BernalilloCounty Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) and the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological

Research Center (LTER), to provide quality experiencesto our participants.

For more information or for camp registration visitwww.juniorscientist.org/www.facebook.com/JuniorScientistOutreach or contact jsop.unm@gmail.com.

J U N I O R S C I E N T I S T O U T R E A C H J U N I O R S C I E N T I S T O U T R E A C H

PROGRAMIn celebration of National Pollinator Week, the NewMexico Beekeepers Association will be bringing in LesCrowder, internationally renowned top bar beekeeperand author of Top-Bar Beekeeping, to speak at the beau-tiful Bosque School, in Budaghers Hall, from 6-8:30pm,on Saturday, June 13th. Les Crowder teaches throughstories and he is a speaker you don’t want to miss.

$15 suggested donation. Free to Members of the NewMexico Beekeepers Association. Les Crowder will alsobe traveling to Las Cruces and Santa Fe to speak fromJune 12-13, http://nmbeekeepers.org

NATIONALPOLLINATORWEEKWITHLES CROWDER

NM BEEKEEEPERS ASSOCIATIONCELEBRATES

SAT.JUNE 136-8:30pm

NORTHEASTThursday, June 25, 5:30–7:30pmHoliday Park Community Center, 11710Comanche Road NE

The workshops—both the county-wideworkshops in May and these quadrantworkshops—have a common focus.According to the outside project team,they are meant to encourage residents toshare ideas on priorities for the futuregrowth of Albuquerque and BernalilloCounty. The quadrant workshops will start with apresentation of ABC-Z and include a small-group“visioning” process with reports back to the wholegroup at the end. The quadrant workshops will con-centrate on issues and future development within eachof the respective quadrants.

Pre-Meeting SurveyPrior to the workshops, people are encouraged tocomplete an online survey. The survey has 15 ques-tions that ask about what people value most inAlbuquerque and Bernalillo County and what theirpriorities are for future development. The survey isavailable at: http://abc-zone.com/abc-z-community-survey-1. There will be more surveys conducted by theproject team as work on the Comprehensive Plan andzoning updates develop.

BackgroundThe City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County arecarrying out a major update of their joint Com-

BY MICHAEL JENSEN, MIDDLE RIO GRANDE URBAN

WATERS AMBASSADOR

The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Compre-hensive Plan and zoning update, also calledABC-Z, is holding community meetings in June to

explain what has happened since the process kicked offpublicly with a series of meetings on February 4–6 thisyear (see the March Co-op Connection News for an ear-lier article).

There were two county-wide workshops in May, but theannouncement for them came too late to discuss in theMay Co-op Connection News. These were held on the20, at the Los Griegos Health and Social Services Center,and on the 21, at Hiland Theater.

There will be four “quadrant” workshops betweenJune 23 and 25 in Albuquerque. The schedule is:SOUTHEASTTuesday, June 23, 5:30–7:30pmManzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 ElizabethStreet SE

NORTHWESTWednesday, June 24, 11:30am–1:30pmPatrick J. Baca Library, 8081 Central Avenue NW (atCentral and Unser)

SOUTHWESTWednesday, June 24, 5:30–7:30pmAlamosa Community Center, 6900 Gonzales Rd. SW

supporting diversity June 2015 13

this support both native species and increased biodiversity, and manyof those suggested for New Mexico (such as sage, oregano, and basil)support delicious food too. If you have a garden, please consideradding a few plants to support native pollinators if you haven’talready. You can find the NRCS recommendations at www.bit.ly/pol-linatorplants. Our native pollinators are up against some hefty pres-sure imposed by non-native honeybees, so they could use the help!

Because we get so many nice things from honeybees, it’soften overlooked that they are an introduced species thatimpacts native pollinator populations. The impact is hardto see because many native pollinators fly under the radar,like solitary ground bees. However, a researcher from theUniversity of Vermont’s Biology Department found thatto produce~6.25 grams of honey, honeybees use the sameamount of resources needed to support a native bumble-bee. Thirty pounds of surplus honey is a modest yield fora honeybee hive, and that equates to over 2,000 honey-bees worth of pollen and nectar (not even accounting forwhat the honeybees themselves eat). The common argu-ment in defense of honeybees that they are important croppollinators is true, but that is mostly due to modern agri-culture’s damaging practices that destroy native bee habi-tat and prevent them from reaching crop plants in the first

place. Honeybee resource usage combined with their spread of both dis-eases like deformed wing virus and parasites like Nosema ceranae makefor a significant threat to native bee populations.

A number of bumblebee species have recently been on the decline inNorth America, but it’s not hard to help them fight back. You can gobeyond simply planting good plants for native pollinators by creatinghabitat for native bees in your garden. Creating patches of bareground with good drainage or making solitary bee houses from woodor bamboo is a great way to support both native populations and thehealth of your plants. To learn more about creating your own nativebee habitat, you can have a look at the Xerces Society’s brief guide atwww.bit.ly/nativebee.

Whatever the impact of an introduced species, it can be valuable toconsider them holistically rather than through the combative perspec-tive of fighting back an invasion. Saltcedar certainly puts pressure onnative species, but it could be helpful in the fight to save one of theSouthwest’s endangered birds. Though honeybees compete withnative pollinators, they also provide a healthy food product forhumans. As a species, we continue to impact global ecosystems inways that they’ve never been impacted before. Hopefully, we canwork to create a balance even more rich than we started with. We’vecome too far to avoid losses, and things will certainly change, butwhat is life without change?

• http://aces.nmsu.edu/ipm/documents/new-mexico-pollinator-plant-recommendations-revised-2013.pdf

• http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/cprs/research/projects/swwf/Reports/Sogge_et_al_Saltcedar_and_SWWF_proceedings_with_cover.pdf

• http://www.blm.gov/or/programs/nrst/files/tamarisk_paper.pdf

BY JR RIEGEL

A ll life is change. Thanks to constant change overa very long time, we are fortunate enough toexperience the enormous and awesome variety of

life’s colors, forms, and interactions. Life shifts, adapts, andcompetes. It bumps into other life, pushes it back, and is inturned pushed back itself. The dynamics of life are trulywondrous, and the wildly different balances of life thathave formed themselves throughout the world are beautifuland incomprehensibly complex. Balances will always beupset in one way or another, but the unbalancing thathumans have committed in recent history is a new and dif-ferent weight on the scales of nature.

The Holocene has been the end of many species, and ouractions will continue to cause more to fall. It’s the sixthmass extinction, so it’s not a new phenomenon. However,what is new is the way in which it’s occurring. The glob-al extinction events of the past still left ecosystems distinctand diverse; our activities on the planet are blurring thelines between otherwise unique and distant balances. Byintroducing species to new continents, we have been flat-tening the diversity of ecosystems in an age that somehave come to call the homogecene. Both intentionally andunintentionally we have spread species across the entireworld, and in many cases they have thrown off delicatebalances in their non-native environments.

Saltcedar was introduced to the Southwest in the early20th century with the hope that it would stabilize streamand river banks by reducing erosion. It has since takenover large areas from native riparian species, and to addinsult to injury, it has proven to not be all that helpfulwith stream banks anyway. In truth though, saltcedar isneither insulting nor injurious. The common term appliedto organisms that behave like this is “invasive,” but I dis-agree with this way of thinking about them. Saltcedarsaren’t trying to invade any more than cottonwoods are—they’re living the same way they always have, but in a newhome that we brought them into. Interestingly enough,saltcedars have actually proven to make good habitat forthe Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, an endangerednative bird that I mentioned in last month’s Co-opConnection News. Life has a way of finding balance.

ALBUQUERQUE/BERNALILLOC O U N T Y C O M P R E H E N S I V E P L A NUPDATE

THE NEW NORMAL: THE NATIVE AND THE INTRODUCEDREDEFINING BALANCE

prehensive Plan, which was approved in 1988. In addition, the City ofAlbuquerque will simplify its zoning and subdivision regulations and inte-

grate them into the Comprehensive Plan.

The project has several stated goals:• improve economic development by making investmentdecisions more predictable• improve protections for special places and establishedneighborhoods• streamline the development review and approval processso that it is clearer and more understandable for everyone• help the City and County promote more sustainabledevelopment that responds to water and transportationconstraints

The basic principle is to put the regulatory language that exists in both thesedocuments into the new Unified Development Ordinance (basically, thezoning rules) and put the broad policy and "vision" and "intent" language—which is now often in the various area and sector plans—into the updat-ed Comprehensive Plan. This will allow the subsidiary plans to focus onthose things that are particular or peculiar to their geographic boundaries.

There will be significant emphasis on land use and real estate, but the proj-ect coordinators have said that these will be examined with concerns forthe impacts from future development on the transportation network andwater supply.

There are, of course, many ways that the Comprehensive Plan and zoningupdates could simply reduce regulation and accountability on the developercommunity and make it easier to sprawl rather than rebuild the core urbanarea. However, during the February kickoff meetings, which included manysessions dedicated to particular issues, many people—including some devel-opers, utility company representatives, and residents—discussed the need toaddress current impediments to core urban area redevelopment and infillrather than continuing to prioritize sprawl on the West Mesa.

It is important that people participate in as many meetings as they can, sub-mit comments, participate in the surveys, let their neighbors know aboutthe process, and express hopes and concerns with their City Councilors at(https://www.cabq.gov/council) and County Commissioners (http://www.bernco.gov/county-commissioners/).

Further InformationFor more information on the project, on upcoming meetings, and toleave comments, go to the project Web site: www.abc-zone.com oremail Michael at michael.jensen@bosqueschool.org.

LIFESHIFTS,

ADAPTS ANDCOMPETES.It bumps into

other life, pushesit back and is in

turn pushed backitself.

Efforts to fight the saltcedar population might throwoff the balance again though—saltcedar beetles havebeen introduced to the Southwest in hopes of defoliat-ing saltcedar populations, and four species of the beetleare converging on New Mexico this year. About a thirdof known Southwestern Willow Flycatcher territoriesare supported by breeding sites in saltcedar-dominatedareas, and though beetle permits are not authorized forwillow flycatcher habitat, one thing we’ve learnedabout introduced species over the years is that they donot always stay where you want them to.

Hopefully, efforts to restore Southwestern WillowFlycatcher and reduce saltcedar populations will bothsucceed. Some research has concluded that a combina-tion of saltcedar and native trees can maximize thehabitat value of a riparian zone (Glenn and Nagler,2005), so if we’re able to bring saltcedar populationsinto balance with our other species, it could improveregional biodiversity. It’s up to you whether you thinkof this as a regrettable flattening of ecosystems or aninteresting increase in the variety of life in theSouthwest. Either way, things will never be the same asthey were before, but that’s the nature of life.

Introduced species can be beneficial. The NaturalResources Conservation Service’s list of plants recom-mended to support pollinators native to New Mexicoincludes 13 non-native species. Non-native plants like

SSHHAAPPEE OOUURRFFUUTTUURREE

EPARE-CERTIFICATION

OF WWIIPPPP??IISS IITT SSAAFFEE?? IS IT READY?

Dinner and Presentation June 9, 6pm Hear the latest information on the EPA’s process to re-cer-tify WIPP and allow it to re-open since the radiation leak.Hear experts make sense of the upcoming issues at WIPPand get information on the EPA's upcoming visit toAlbuquerque on June 17 at the Embassy Suites Hotel.

Dinner and Presentation at the SouthWest OrganizingProject (SWOP) 211 10th St. SW, June 9, 6pm. FREE tothe public but donations gratefully accepted.

For more information: Lucille Cordova 730-1389 • Don Hancock

262-1862 • Janet Greenwald 242-5511 or email contactus@cardnm.org

summer fun for kids June 2015 14

BY KATHERINE MULLÉ

Summer vacation has begun! And although it’s greatfor the kids to have a break from school, parents every-where are likely dreading the onslaught of “I’m

boreds” coming their way (if they haven’t started already!).While visiting the park, exploring new hiking trails, going tothe zoo, cooling off at the pool, or signing up for a summercamp are always great options, here are some ideas for sum-mer activities you can do with the kids right from home.

Grow a garden. You don’t need to have a green thumb tohave a successful garden. Whether you’re up for maintaining a full-blown gardening bed or just a couple of potted plants, kids can helpplant, water, weed, and even help search for tomato bugs (way cool fora 5-year-old!). Not only is gardening a great way to have fun and get thekids outside, but the care that goes into it will also teach them impor-tant lessons. They’ll learn what it means to be responsible, to care forsomething, to be patient, and to feel the rewarding satisfaction thatcomes with hard work. Whether things go perfectly or not, kids willlearn how fragile, resilient, and beautiful nature can be.

Dig into DIYs. Get your kids to put down the electronics with somefun do-it-yourself activities. You can find more details on these activitiesand so many more online; these are just a few favorites!

• Make your own bird feeders. Kids will have fun getting their hands inthe feed mix, and there are lots of ways to make the actual feeder. You canuse peanut butter and pine cones, or maybe you’ll want to spread the feedmix on a baking sheet and use cookie cutters to make fun shapes.

• Create fun sculptures with homemade play dough! Play dough is safeto play with, easy to make, and you’ll likely already have the stapleingredients in your cupboard.

• Blow some bubbles! All you need is water anda little dishwashing liquid, and you’ve got yourvery own bubble mixture. For easy wands, usewhatever wire is handy—maybe an old wirehanger or a pipe cleaner—to twist and bend intowhatever shapes you like! Creating a large circleof string looped through 2 straws (that serve ashandles) is also a great way to make BIG bubbles.

• Decorate an old bed sheet with paints or fabricpens; not only is it a fun (huge!) canvas for an ongo-ing art project, but it’s also great for having picnics,building forts, or playing “parachute” with, like they

do in elementary school!

• Build castles in your very own sandbox.Sandboxes can be easily and cheaply made—youjust need some sand and an under-bed storage con-tainer, or any container of your choice. Just addsome sand toys and a bucket of water, and you’regood to go!

• Decorate the sidewalks with chalk (you canmake your own, if desired) and make life-sizedgames. You can draw race tracks, bullseyes, and even take “dress-up” to the next level withchalk dolls.

Break out the Basics. If all else fails, don’t forgetabout good, old-fashioned fun. Kids still love playingwith hula hoops, scooters, bikes, and jump ropes. Flya kite on a windy day (we all know we have plentyof those in Albuquerque!). Make a lemonade standin the front yard. Paint/decorate rocks from yourbackyard, or seashells you brought back from vaca-tion—they’ll look beautiful arranged in the gardenor on the patio! Whatever activities strike your fancy,have a blast doing it.

O’Keeffe Museum: Family Programs Saturday, June 20, 9:30-11am Opera Makes Sense at the O’Keeffe: The Santa FeOpera’s Opera Makes Sense program and the GeorgiaO’Keeffe Museum’s Pre-K Lab present an innovativeprogram for children ages 3–5and their parents or caregivers.This creative interdisciplinary ex-perience focuses on learning andcommunicating through the fivesenses. Cost: free for families.

Saturday, June 27, 9:30am What Makes Color? GeorgiaO’Keeffe is known for her amazinguse of colors. Explore basic princi-ples of color, do some color mixing, and experiment withcolors’ relations to each other. Cost: free for families.

Family Programs are interactive programs designed forfamilies with children ages 4–12. For more info, go towww.okeeffemuseumevents.org/youth.

Santa Fe Botanical Garden Garden Sprouts: Join Santa Fe Botanical Garden in theiroutdoor classroom for interactive nature and garden-related activities. This program is designed for childrenaged 3-5, but all ages are welcome with an adult. Free toSFBG members and children under 12, $5 for not-yetmembers. Friday mornings, 9–10am, weather permitting.

Thursday Family Mornings: Our middle school internsare busy putting together fun hands-on activities forfamilies to do on Thursday mornings. Come play in the

garden, do art, and learn about plants, animalsand Northern New Mexico with us!LOCATION: Botanical Garden at Museum Hill,715 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe. WHEN: Thursdaysin June and July. Information: www.santafeb-

otanicalgarden.org/garden-sprouts

Museum of International Folk Art Exhibitions contain interactive activities,and docents lead hands-on art makingwith the Art Cart several days eachmonth. Kids 16 and under are alwaysfree and on Sundays all New Mexico res-idents with ID are also free. Information:www.internationalfolkart.org

New Mexico Museum of ArtFamily Fun Day: Sunday, June 14. Enjoy ahands-on art project on the patio, exploringcolor relationships and optical illusions. In con-junction with "Colors of the Southwest" andSanta Fe’s "Summer of Color.”

Free Fridays: Music at the Museum takes placeon Friday nights from 5:30 to 7:30pm all sum-mer long. On these free Fridays enjoy local musi-cians with styles ranging from jazz, to classical,to country, to marimba, and eclectic. Children16 and under always free. Free for New Mexicoresidents on Fridays, 5-8pm and Sundays. Formore information: www.nmartmuseum.org

A KIDS’ SUMMER IN SANTA FE

LEARNERS

M O V E M E N T F O R F O C U S : A B R A I N-B O D YBALANCING WORKSHOP FOR YOUNG

BY MARCIA LEE, KIDS FOCUS

Kids Focus offers dozens of sim-ple, controlled movementsthat help children focus, feel

calm, concentrate, and learn to self-regulate in the classroom or at home inminutes. The movements are safe, easy,and they really work, helping ADD/ADHD symptoms seem to disappear.These movements and this workshopare based on cutting-edge childhoodneuroscience, and support academicsuccess, behavior management, and childhood brain andbehavioral development.

When a child becomes stressed, the brain seems to loseits balance, causing difficult behavior and emotions andsending out a signal or call for help. Given a healthyopportunity through movement, the child will naturallystrive to rebalance and achieve positive growth.

Clinical studies show that children benefit from move-ment-based learning experiences, particularly in theclassroom. Substantial evidence indicates that movementcan improve:

• academic achievement, including grades and standard-ized test scores (CDC, 2010)

SPLASH INTO SUMMMER!

KIDS’AACCTTIIVVIITTIIEESS

• cognitive skills, attention, and on-task classroom be-havior (CDC, 2010)• school attendance and reduced disciplinary problems

(Active Education, 2009)• attention, memory, information pro-cessing, and decreased impulsivity (Pre-ventative Medicine, 2011)• teacher’s rating of classroom behavior(Preventative Medicine, 2011)• cerebral blood flow, brain cell growth,brain connections (Pediatrics, Feb. 2009)• “positively associated with academic per-formance” (Dwyer, Blizzard and Dean,1996)

• “triggers chemical changes in the brain that promotelearning.” (Gage, 1999) • “Students that maintained a higher level of physicalactivity maintained higher grades and learned faster”(Byrd, 2007) • “School-based physical activity programs increasedconcentration, improved math, reading and writingscores and reduced disruptive behavior.” (Kolbe, LJ,Appropriate Function of Health Education Schools,Child Health Behavior: A Behavioral PediatricsPerspective, New York, NY, John Wiley, 1986).

Learn these simple and effective movements at a KidsFocus Workshop on June 20, 9am-4:30pm at the HighDesert Center for Spiritual Living, 5621 Paradise Blvd.NW. To reserve your place call 949-468-9841, or email:marcia.lee@kidsfocususa.com.

June20

COOL FRUITS AND VEGGIESFRESH FAIRLOCAL

LA MONTAÑITACO-OP

THE NATION’S LARGEST FLAMENCO MUSICAND DANCE FESTIVALBY ANA ARÉCHIGA

The National Institute of Flamenco,University of New Mexico and NewMexico True proudly present the 28th

Annual Festival Flamenco Internacional de Al-buquerque, June 7–13, 2015. Festival FlamencoInternacional is the largest gathering of flamen-co dance and music in the United States, withthe most diverse and impactful flamenco experi-ence outside of Spain.

The festival experience offers workshop oppor-tunities for all ages and levels as well as nightly performances. As partof the Festival we also have Flamenco Kid's Camp, the youth compo-nent of Festival Flamenco Internacional de Alburquerque, which intro-duces children ages 6–12 to the full range of flamenco arts and culture.This fun, creative outlet features classes in dance, guitar, cajón, percus-sion, cante, singing, and literacy (www.ffi28.org/kids-camp-1/).

Festival Flamenco Internacional headliners include: Concha Jareño; JoseMaya; Antonio Canales, featuring Adela Campallo; and PastoraGalván, featuring her father, the great flamenco maestro, Jose Galván.This year’s Festival Flamenco will also feature 3 cante concerts to beheld on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday immediately following thedance concerts and will be given by flamenco greats, Juana la del Pipa,

Davíd “El Galli,” and José Valencia. On the openingSunday the National Institute of Flamenco will presenta spectacular flamenco music concert by our New

Mexico True Fiesta de Apertura headliningartist, Montse Cortés y Compañía.

For a detailed performance scheduleplease visit: www.ffi28.org/performances-1/#calendar.

Performances will be held nightly at theUniversity of New Mexico’s Rodey Theatreand at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.The Standard and Premium New MexicoPasses provide the Festival’s best discount forticket packages exclusively for New Mexicoresidents. Individual ticket performances can

also be purchased at the corresponding theater’s boxoffice. National Hispanic Cultural Center tickets maybe purchased at the box office by calling 505-724-4771.UNM Rodey Theatre tickets may be purchased at thebox office by calling 505-925-5858.

For culture-seekers new to flamenco, FFI offers aunique Flamenco is “New Mexico True” ExperiencePackage in association with our sponsorship with theNew Mexico Tourism Department. This program runsfrom Thursday, June 11th – Saturday, June 13th, coin-ciding with the closing weekend of Festival Flamenco.The Flamenco is “New Mexico True” Experience

Package is perfect for travelers discovering NewMexico for the first time and natives of the Land ofEnchantment, alike. We invite participants to delveinto the vibrant world of flamenco and discover a“New Mexico True” experience like no other!

This unforgettable experience will include: Eveningperformances featuring world-class flamenco artistsfrom Spain; six hours of hands-on and experientialflamenco instruction in beginning-level dance, musicand history, (previous experience is not required);Spanish cooking and food tasting course; and twoVIP food and wine receptions.

For more information about Festival FlamencoInternacional, June 7–13, or for workshop regis-tration and a complete schedule of performanc-es and workshops, visit the Festival Flamencowebsite at www.ffi28.org or call the FFI Hotlineat 505-242-7600.

THANK YOU to Festival Flamenco Internacionalde Alburquerque sponsors and partners:Heritage Hotels, The University of New Mexico,New Mexico True, the New Mexico Department ofCultural Affairs, New Mexico Arts, the City ofAlbuquerque, Bernalillo County, the NationalHispanic Cultural Center, the Albuquerque HispanoChamber of Commerce, and the Urban Enhance-ment Trust Fund.

FestivalFLAMENCO June 7-13

OFFCenter Community Arts Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit artsorganization which believes art making is central to communitybuilding. OFFCenter is a safe place for everyone to make art, free

of charge. Their mission is to promote positive self identity and resiliencethrough art making by providing a safe environment for creative socialinteraction with an emphasis to enhance the lives of those most marginal-ized in our community. OFFCenter, in all that it does. endeavors to con-tribute to the well-being and stability of our community as it provides aworking model of a non-institutional community art setting that sustainsand improves community mental health and social capital.

They offer a Group Arts Studio • Free Weekly Workgroups (Art, Crafts,Music and Writing) • Special Low-Cost Workshops • Gallery • Sales Shop• Professional Frame Shop • Professional Jewelry/Metalsmithing Shop • Thrift Store and more.

Check out the June activities below and find others at their onlinecalendar at www. offcenterarts.org

Sat., June 6, 11am-3pmRainbow Artist Collective: Spirit Doll Making WorkshopSuggested donation $10, all materials included.The workshop will demonstrate methods for creating small imaginativedolls from natural materials, branches, seeds, grasses, found objects, andfabric. Bring to life your own spirit doll and then submit your spirit dollfor OFFCenter’s “Come Together” exhibit during June—a non-juriedexhibit celebrating collage and assemblage.

Sat., June 20, noon to 3pm, FREEBottlecap Assemblage with Steve Watson Inspired by the “first lady of assemblaged boxes,” Louise Nevelson, as wellas the Victorian history and practice of collecting for “cabinets of curiosi-

ties.” Steve will assist each artist in their quest to incor-porate recycled/upcycled and re-purposed materials intoa unique and individually inspired assemblage. Thisclass is suitable for beginners ages 10 and up andinvolves freestyle painting and assemblage with materi-als such as glass, wooden frames, small nails, picturehangers, plastic bottle caps, cardboard backing, paint,brushes, and glue.

Come Together: Collage, Assemblage, andCommunityCome Together is a series of workshops, open studioprojects, outreach, and exhibits which repurpose mate-rials and lives. All workshops are free with materialsincluded. Call 505-247-1172 to reserve your space.

OFFCENTER ARTS S U M M E R A R T SO F F E R I N G S

OF PASSION FOR CULTURE

COMMUNITY forum June 2015 15

Artists' Network MeetingAll artists are welcome to meet once a month to network,learn about marketing and sales opportunities and are invit-ed to participate in developing OFFCenter's exhibitions and programming. Come make art and share ideas with one another. Every 2nd Tuesday of the month: 5–6pm atOFFCenter.

For more details, to register for one of the many class-es and workshops this summer, to make a donation, orfor a full schedule of events/workshops go to www.offcenterarts.org/calendar or call 505-247-1172 oremail: studio808@qwestoffice.net. OFFCenter is locat-ed at 808 Park Avenue SW.

Santa Fe Celebration!11:30am-2pmBenefits the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.Come Adopt a Pet at the Co-op!

ROCKIN’ THE WESTSIDE! 11am-4pmJoin the Co-op at our Westside location on Saturday, June 20, for aRockin’ BBQ, with delicious summer foods and live music.Entertainment includes a live radio remote with 100.3 The PEAK(11am–1pm) and musical performances from the students at Rock101. Food for sale will include grass-fed beef burgers, steaks, veg-gie options, chips, and drinks for purchase.

CO-OPSSUUMMMMEERR BBBBQQSS

JUNE20!WESTSIDE AND SANTA FE STORES