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N e w C o - o p L o c a t i o n s O p e n !Shop your Co-op and Save ! March is Member Appreciation Volume Discount Month.

Wow, it’s great to offer a warm welcome to every-one in Gallup and Santa Fe. Your Coop’s Board ofDirectors couldn’t be more pleased to extend the spirit ofcooperatives to your cities and we look forward to serv-ing your communities in a way that meets your distinctneeds and vision .

When I say “your board of directors” it is said with moremeaning than you might realize. The co-op board has twocore missions; one, to safeguard all of our enterprises, andtwo, to represent you, the member. It is our job to learnabout our members and to actively seek out your thoughtsregarding the direction of the co-op. It is also our job to

We are honored to be able to serve our two new commu-nities as well as to continue our nearly 30 years of servicein Albuquerque’s Nob Hill/ University neighborhood andour 6 years of service at the Valley location. Here at LaMontanita serving the needs of the community means notonly providing the finest in high quality foods, with asmany locally produced choices as possible, but utilizing ourpooled energy and resources to create volunteer projects,provide incentives to help already existing community pro-grams (coop member volunteers get to shop at an 18%discount for one week, for every three hours they volun-teer) and develop fun, educational events and activitiesthat bring us all together for the common good.

We recognize that each community has it’s own uniquecharacter and culture. Even our two stores in Albuquerqueprovide evidence that different neighborhoods have differ-ent needs. In order to do our best to serve each com-munity we will depend on coop member input at eachlocation. We are planning a series of community meet-ings and focus groups for interested members to helpus shape our volunteer programs in each new commu-nity. We had our first meeting in Gallup in late Februaryand with Gallup member support will develop ourmember participation/volunteer programs there. Ournext community meeting in Gallup will be held onWednesday March 23 at 5:30. We will meet at theCoop store.

In Santa Fe we will have our first community meetingon Wednesday March 30 at 5:30 PM. All coop mem-bers are welcome at this first meeting and all futurecommunity gathering to help us craft the member par-ticipation/volunteer programs that best serve Santa Fearea membership. Watch upcoming issues of yourCoop Connection News and postings at Coop locations

The MarketPlace thrives on heart and spirit: of community, local suppliers, hardworking staff, and our loyal customers. Being part of La Montanita Coop allows Jill’svision for a community MarketPlace to live on. We celebrate our new beginning as acooperative in Santa Fe. Come and continue to support your local natural food store!

Cindy Zivic, Marketplace Coop, Store manager

A Fond FarewellI want to say “thank you” to all of our friends and customers who have made TheMarketPlace their store. I welcome La Montanita to our community making it part of alarger network of people all wanting to make a difference in the way of the world. TheMarketPlace has been part of my heart and soul for over 22 years. My three children wereraised with the store and all worked here as they were growing up. They are now grownand living their own lives and it is time for me to pursue other interests and adventures. Iknow that it will be a healthy transition and a positive addition to Santa Fe, broadening ourconnection with the rest of the state. Most of all I want to thank the incredible group ofindividuals that I have been blessed to work with and, of course, all the local vendors whohave contributed to our uniqueness in today’s corporate environment. So viva TheMarketPlace and La Montanita! I will see you all while doing my daily shopping.

Many Blessings, Jill Markstein

Finally, after five years of hard work and effort Wild Sage is getting a fulltime store!! One of the only Coop start-ups in nearly a decade, Wild Sage Coopsurvived thanks to the dedication of its member volunteers. I am so proud LaMontanita is able to help fulfill their dream and even more excited I get to play arole in making it happen! I am sure there will be a few bumps in the road as weget things rolling over the next few months but the end result of taking the hardwork of the Gallup community to the next stage, sustaining the co-op, with itscommunity based philosophy and life style will be well worth the effort. I want tothank everyone in advance for their support, and look forward to working togeth-er and over the coming years, building the Co-op into an integral part of the larg-er Gallup community. Tim Hankins, Gallup Coop, Store Manager

february was one of the most exciting andbusy months La Montanita has had in a verylong time. The two new store projects we havebeen working on for months have finally come tofruition. The new Wild Sage Coop location openedin Gallup and the Marketplace Natural Foods

Grocery in Santa Fe became a Coop within days of one anoth-er. And while we are all jumping for joy we realize that it is nowthe work of any cooperative really begins.

The Coop’s community ownership structure provides an alter-native, economic model that serves the needs of a communityas it builds the local economy. As we come together to growour New Mexican cooperative system, the integrity of our com-mitment to the economic democracy inherent in the coop prin-ciples remains strong. During the past 15 years we havereturned nearly 2 million dollars to the community in the formof patronage refunds to Coop members. We have supportedlocal farmers and producers from all over New Mexico by doingour best to provide a stable, welcoming market for their prod-ucts, with fair prices and quick payment. Currently 20% of allour purchases are of locally produced items, a percentage weaim to increase each year. We have supplied food, made tensof thousands of dollars in donations and provided volunteersto worthy organizations and projects throughout our state. Wehave been able to do all this thanks to our members’ loyalty toand belief in the cooperative they own. It is in this sprit of sus-taining a strong local economy and culture we have undertak-en returning and maintaining access to the cooperative modelin Santa Fe and Gallup.

a MembershipPerspective

From the Coop Board of Directors

Growing the Cooperative EconomyNew Coop Locations Open!

for the times and dates of future gatherings. Our Boardof Directors has already begun to schedule their Coffeewith the Board events at all locations to dialogue withmembers and other Board initiated member linkageprojects are in the making.

As we hope you can tell, we, the staff of LaMontanita are all tremendously excited and hon-ored to be able to serve our two new Coop com-

munities. Although we have much to learn, as we createa statewide cooperative system and will most likely makeour share of mistakes, it is our intent to serve all our coopmembers and each community to the very best of ourability. Our door is always open and input is always wel-come. We sincerely invite everyone to participate in whatwe believe is a solution-based, economic model thatoffers an alternative vision of local, organic food produc-tion and distribution and community ownership for ahealthy sustainable future. by Robyn Seydel

make it as easy as possible for you to access us and toencourage your involvement in our governance process. Tothat end I hope you’ll send us a note either by mail or emailbod@lamontanitacoop.com.

Our regular board meetings and committeemeeting dates are published in the newsletterand are open to all. In recognition of themiles between our cities we are planning on

establishing audio/visual conferencing to increase yourability to participate at these meetings. Keep a lookout infuture newsletters for further information. Until then,happy eating! Martha Whitman, Board President

New Beginings:at the MarketPlace GGaalllluupp:: tthhee NNeexxtt SSttaaggee

Santa Fe staff

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by Joanie Quinn, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission

II f you’re like me, your vision of paradise is a bit of gardenwith bees buzzing among the flowers and perhaps somesweet heirloom tomatoes ripening on the vine. NOT

included in my paradise are cans of Bug Killum or spray bot-tles of Weed Death. Yet 80 million pounds of pesticides areapplied to U.S. lawns and gardens every year. According tothe EPA, Americans spent $1,984,000,000 in 1999 on homeand garden pesticides. This chemical warfare has far-reachingeffects. 40 years after Rachel Carson published Silent Spring,it’s estimated that 70 million birds are killed each year by pes-ticides. Where pesticides are regularly applied 60-90% ofearthworms are killed. In fact, 99% of applied pesticidesentirely miss their intended targets.

The negatives of chemical-dependent agriculture are so over-whelming we usually (unthinkingly) build our definition ofthe alternative organic gardening/farming around a list of“No’s.” “No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Nogenetically engineered organisms. Nosewage sludge.”

It’s easy to forget the positives. But withplanting time just around the corner (oreven a little past depending on the crop)it’s nice remember the vision that under-lies our current understanding of theword “organic.” The National OrganicStandards Board, a national advisorypanel created in 1990 to advise theUSDA on matters organic, came up witha good working definition: “an ecologi-cal production management system thatpromotes and enhances biodiversity,biological cycles and soil biologicalactivity. It is based on minimal use ofoff-farm inputs and on managementpractices that restore, maintain andenhance ecological harmony.”

Of course, “minimal” applies to off-farm inputs, not, as some people imagine, the work put intothe system. Organic farming is not “do nothing” farming.Good farming practices such as composting, crop rotation,mulching and use of green manure crops are as much a nec-essary part of organic practices as is the absence of chemicals

The modern concept of organic farming was first articulatedby British agronomist Albert Howard who worked in Indiain the opening years of the 20th century. Howard blamedmodern agriculture for the impoverishment of the soil thatled to erosion and animal and plant diseases. To Howard,who absorbed many of the lessons of traditional agriculturewhile he was in India, the goal was a sustainable system anda sustainable system was one that returned the nutrientstaken from farms in the form of agricultural products back tothe farm through recycling of wastes, i.e., composting.

In a society where we approach resources more often as min-ers than stewards, creating a compost pile is a revolutionaryact. If you are wondering what you can do to make a differ-ence in this world you can start right here; feed and nurture thesoil that you hope will feed and nurture you. Even if you don’thave a garden you can compost your waste veggies in yourbackyard (if you have one) or in a worm-bin under the sink ifyou don’t. Yes, it’s a small step, but it begins the process ofreturning us to our proper place within nature’s systems.

If you’re lucky enough to have some space to create a small(or large) paradise here are some other good organic practicesto consider. Remember that the first decision to make is togrow plants that are adapted to your microclimate. Underlyingall organic practices is the idea that you are trying to work withnature, not outwit her. Trying to grow something that reallydoes not want to grow where you are will ultimately force youto either guiltily abandon it or (just as guiltily) adopt a numberof practices that could hardly be considered sustainable.

• Don’t grow the same annuals in the same place every year.Rotation is important for pest (both animal and vegetable)management and long- and short-term soil fertility. Put insome legumes—they fix nitrogen in the soil. Crops with dif-ferent root lengths bring up different nutrients from the soil. • Grow a green manure crop—a crop that is grown for the soil.Digging the crop in feeds the soil microorganisms andimproves soil texture allowing roots to get the air they need;loosens clay soils; and adds structure and water-holdingcapacity to sandy soils.

• Related to green manure crops are cover crops—crops grownto conserve soil and nutrients. Don’t ever leave your soilbare! Cover crops are usually grown in the “off season” toprotect the soil and suppress weeds, but can be used to nour-ish perennials and beneficial insects—such as growing cloverin orchards.• Manuring and composting. Nutrients withdrawn from thesystem as crops need to be replaced. If you use manure, besure to compost it or apply it 120 days before harvest ofcrops that touch the soil or 90 days before the harvest ofcrops that don’t have contact with the soil.• Companion Planting—improves biodiversity and habitat forbeneficial insects. The traditional interplanting of the threesisters: corn, squash and beans provides nitrogen (beans),physical support (the corn stalks provide poles for the beansto climb), and weed suppression (squash).• Mulching—in our arid climate this is vital both for weedsuppression and water retention. A good dose of mulch keepssoil temperatures even—important for the microorganisms.Mulch is also a long-term nutrient source for the soil organ-isms. (Cover crops can sometimes act as living mulches).

Details on these and other good organic practices can be foundat: www.attra@ncat.org.

Happy gardening!

farming issueA Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

La Montanita CooperativeNob Hill3500 Central S.E.Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631

Valley2400 Rio Grande Blvd.Albuq., NM 87104 242-8800

Wild Sage105 E. Coal Gallup, NM 87301 863-5383

Santa Fe Marketplace913 West Alameda Santa Fe, NM 87501 984-2852

Administrative Staff:General Manager: C.E. Pugh 265-4631 x323ce@lamontanitacoop.comStore Team Leaders: Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631John Mulle/Valley 242-8800Cindy Zivic/Santa Fe 984-2852Tim Hankins/Gallup 863-5383Accounting/Toni Fragua 232-4026Computers/Info Technology/Ahmed Elmaghlawi 232-8202Human Resources/Sharret Rose 265-4731Marketing/Edite Cates 268-8357Membership/Robyn Seydel 256-4594Co-op fax line: 266-3703 or 265-6470

Co-op Board of Directors:President: Martha WhitmanVice President: Marshall KovitzTreasurer: Ken O’BrienSecretary: Julie Hicks Lonn Calanca Roger EldridgeJohn Kwait Tamara SaimonsAndrew Stone

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

Co-op Connection Staff:Managing Editor: Robyn Seydelmemb@lamontanitacoop.comLayout and Design: foxyrock incCovers & Centerfold: Edite CatesAdvertising: Robyn Seydel Printing: Vanguard Press

Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 256-4594 email: memb@lamontanitacoop.com

Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, memb@lamontanitacoop.comemail: bod@lamontanitacoop.comwebsite: www.lamontanitacoop.org

Copyright © 2005La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.

The Co-op Connection is printed on 65% postconsumer recycled paper. It is recyclable.

The Co-op Connection is published by LaMontanita Co-op Supermarket to provide informa-tion on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, thecooperative movement, food, nutrition, and com-munity issues. Opinions expressed herein are ofthe authors and are not necessarily those of thenewletters or the Co-op.

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

Organic Paradise

2 march 2005

certifiedorganic

If you would like to sell your produce, livestock or dairy as “organic” you must either regis-ter (if your gross organic sales are less than $5,000/year) or certify your farm as organic. Theprocess involves understanding and agreeing to follow a set of organic production standards, fill-ing out an application that details your practices and (for certification) having an annual inspec-tion. For more information on organic certification or registration in New Mexico please call theNew Mexico Organic Commodity Commission at (505) 841-9067.

Joan Quinn will be available to answer all questions organic at both the Valley Coop’sGarden Party on Saturday March 19th, and at the Nob Hill 16th Annual Celebrate the EarthFestival Sunday April 17th.

Find out about OrganicCertification

As a volunteer organization, AAEMG is always happy to expand their ranks andtake in additional knowledge and energy. To be a member, one only has to take thetraining, pay a minimal dues fee, and help create a better community by helpingpeople grow plants.

The training is provided once a year, starting in early January and running for 13weeks, once a week on Tuesday mornings (three classes each Tuesday), and iscoordinated through the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Office. Studentstake basic science-as-related-to-gardening classes, like Climates and Micro-climates, Soils, Botany, Plant Pathology, and Entomology. These are followed bytargeted classes on many topics, from Weeds, Turf, Trees and Shrubs, Pruning,through Fruits and Vegetables, into Xeriscape, Ornamental Grasses, and

Flowers… too many to list them all! Currently, the fee for the train-ing is only $60.

So, the classes sound good, but you don’t have the time to volun-teer? We do accept non-volunteer students, at a higher cost andsubject to space availability. We even take people on a daily basis,$10 per day. The class schedule is available on the website: abqmastergardeners.org or call 243-1386.

gardening issue

manufacturers and vendors will be on set upthroughout the Coop so you’ll have the opportu-nity to do just that. And for the children as alwaysthere will be a jolly jumper benefiting theAlbuquerque Pre School Coop as well as otherchildren’s activities from this other wonderfulnorth valley Coop.

Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate and blessus with a beautiful spring day, but as March can beunpredictable even by New Mexican standards the

IT’S SPRING!Come Rejoice the Earth’s annualrebirth and renewal at the Valley

Coop. This year, after conferring with our farming and gardening friendsand neighbors we have moved the date from early May to mid March,the better to facilitate your planting needs.

But as always there will be a wide variety of organic seeds, veggie,flower and herb seedlings, native plants, compost, and all the otherthings you need for a great year in the garden. Some of our regionsmost dedicated farmers have already confirmed including: certifiedorganic Bethany Farms, Charybda Farm of Taos, Becky Thorpe nativeplants and medicinal herbs, Rio Grande Community Farms, SeedsWest, Erda Gardens, Desert Woman Botanicals and others.

In addition to supplies there will be some of our communities mostknowledgeable people on hand to answer your how-to questions.Again this year, we are honored to have Joan Quinn, education coor-dinator for the New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission, ourstate’s organic certification agency. A walking, talking natural resource,she can tell you everything you need to know on how to grow it organ-ically, how to get certified organic or how organic farming and gar-dening supports long term personal and environmental health.

Also on hand will be the Bernalillo County Extension Service,Master Gardeners Program for answers to your toughest gardeningproblems or pick up information on their classes and become a mas-ter gardener yourself. Need composting information or some of thatrich “black gold” itself? New Mexico Compost Products/ Soilutionsfolk will be happy to oblige. Pick up a sack of their compost to useuntil your home brew is ready.

As this is the third Saturday of the month, on hand will be localNew Mexican artists and crafts persons to share another kind ofbeauty that feeds our souls. And speaking of nourishment for thesoul, enjoy the folk and children’s music of Sean Ettington, thesweet sounds of Debo and Alpha Blue, and the folk jazz sounds ofthe Jenny Gamble Trio.

And of course there will be great Coop food. Sit surrounded by itall at an outdoor table while you enjoy some delicious food, hot offthe special outdoor Coop Deli grill. La Montanita’s support of localproducers is legendary, with 20% of all our purchases local prod-ucts. Want to sample some you haven’t tried yet? Local farmers,

6th annual Valley CoopGardenParty

march 2005 3

weather date is Sunday March 20. Farmers, gar-deners, and related educational organizations,space is limited so reserve yours today.

Call Robyn at 256-4594.

Master Gardener’s: Hotline Helpby Joran ViersBy the time you read this both the gardeners and theweeds will be in full stride. Peas, lettuce, kale…peach blossoms… pruning… feeding… oh, my, somuch to do!

So, what if you don’t know what to do? What to plantnow? What to prune now? Or, maybe you’re the kind ofgardener who knows those answers. In either case,you’re a perfect candidate for the Albuquerque Area

Extension Master Gardeners (AAEMG). This organiza-tion is made up of individuals who have special horti-cultural training and a mission to provide sound gar-dening advice to the community. They have a hotline(292-7144) that is available daily, from 9:30 a.m. to2:30 p.m., February through October They can give youunbiased information on a whole range of topics. TheAlbuquerque Area Extension Master Gardeners hasnumerous other programs, designed to reach differentsegments of the community.

COOP to COOP Supportalbuquerque preschool coopby Delcie DobrovolnyWhen I asked my son, in his third year at theAlbuquerque Preschool Co-op, why he likes to goto school, he replied, “Oh, because I have myfriends.” And when I think about why I love totake him to school in the morning and pickhim up after lunch, my answer would be thesame. Even my youngest, not yet quite oldenough to attend preschool there, can’t wait togo and visit.

The Preschool Coop was founded in 1964 by agroup of parents who wanted to create a pre-school experience with all the loving and nur-turing of home combined with the creative andstimulating environment of a preschool. Theco-op’s philosophy is based on the belief thatchildren thrive in an unhurried, non-stressfulenvironment where they are encouraged toexplore life and the world around themthrough play. The dedicated staff guide chil-dren in exploring various cultures and tradi-tions and encourage in each child the develop-ment of a positive self-concept.

The Albuquerque Preschool Co-op is based on atrue cooperative philosophy. Parents (or anotheradult family member) work as Classroom Aidesone day each month and serve on the volunteerBoard of Directors or join a committee to raisemoney for scholarships, provide education oppor-tunities for fellow parents, market the school, andmaintain the school building and grounds. Byworking in the classroom, parents are given theopportunity of observing their child learning andgrowing and they often learn valuable parentingskills from both the teachers and parent volun-teers. By working to maintain the school, parentsmodel for their children the importance of givingback to our community.

As I have watched my son grow over the last fiveyears, I realize that so much of who he has becomeis a result of the people he spends time with. I amthankful that we found a wonderful school that wecan both be a part of where we have made friendswe will keep for the rest of our lives.

The Albuquerque Preschool Cooperative is locatedat 606 Candelaria NW. For more information call344-0389. Meet them at the Garden Party!

Join us at Santa Fe’s Marketplace Coop!

PAPER OR PLASTIC?Join Dan Imhoff, author and activist,for an insightful and humorous exploration of this everyday question!

Wed. March 15, 4:30-6pm at Santa Fe’s new Marketplace Coop: 913 West Alameda, 984-2852 or 256-4594

Dan Imhoff is an award-winning independentpublisher and author of Farming with the Wild:Enhancing Biodiversity on Farms andRanches, Building with Vision: Optimizingand Finding Alternatives to Wood, and TheGuide to Tree-free, Recycled, and CertifiedPapers. Dan will speak on the issue and readfrom his new book Paper or Plastic: Searchingfor Solutions to an Overpackaged World.Booksigning and refreshments afterwards.Sponsored by Santa Fe’s new Marketplace Co-opand Watershed Media.

READING& BOOKSIGNING

march 1910-3pm

Valley Garden Party Music Schedule11:15 Am Sean Etigson12:30 PM Debo and Alpha Blue2PM Jenny Gamble Trio

March is Member Appreciation

VOLUME DISCOUNTSHOPPINGMONTH!Watch your mailbox for your Member Appreciation Volume Discount Coupon.Bring it in any day during the month of March for a one-time Volume DiscountShopping Trip! The more you spend the more you save!

Member Appreciation Volume Discount Shopping!Spend $0-$29.99: get 5% off • Spend $30-$79.99: get 10% offSpend $80 or more: get 15% off!

Good at all 4 coop locations: Nob Hill, Valley, Gallup and Santa Fe. New andrenewing members get your volume disount coupon with your new coopmember cards.

wasps, flies, beetles, gnats and ants, as well asmoths and butterflies. The flowers that dependon birds for pollination are mostly red andvery bright. They don't have a strong fra-grance, but they do have plenty of nectar. Andthough we always think of hummingbirds,more than a thousand different species of birdsdepend on flowers for most of their food.

Seed dispersal is as necessary and ingeniouslyachieved as pollination, enlisting the sameforces and coercing even the unknowingamong us to aid in the widest and most far-reaching distribution of a species. Wind,water, insects and the mechanical design of

seed capsules facilitate seed distribution and ofcourse, humans and other mammals, often unwit-tingly, play a significant role. Many seed capsulescontain thousands, even up to a million tiny seedsthat can be carried an enormous distance on thewind. Many seedpods are designed to curl, shrink,and in other ways use natural stresses to cause themto violently crack open and expel their contentswith some force, sometimes up to 10 feet awayfrom the parent plant.

Water, like air, is a medium for carrying thoseseeds well-adapted to floating, often for great dis-tances. Animals are one of the most importantvehicles of transport. Seeds have many ingeniousadhering methods, from barbed awns and hookedbristles to velcro-like hairy exteriors and gluey,mucilaginous surfaces that stick to fur, hair andclothing until removed and deposited far fromtheir origin.

Seeds are spread by birds and animals by inges-tion; some, even require the digestive processbefore germination can occur. Finally of coursehumans, both knowingly and inadvertently, havebeen perhaps the greatest force in broadcastingseeds far and wide and introducing species toentirely new habitats and in so doing, foreveraltering those habitats for better or worse.

Germination SucessGermination takes place when ideal conditions aremet and equally important to the chances of sur-vival are natural inhibitors to prevent germinationwhen they are not. A fascinating aspect of seeds isthat they seem to exist in suspended animation untilsuch time their "potential" for growth is activated.Some seeds have been reported to be still viableafter as long as 10,000 yrs.

Most seeds depend on the natural cycles of natureto prepare them for germination, to break dorman-cy. Thick, hard seed coats need scarification, whichis accomplished with hard fast spring rains, theabrasive force of small sand and pebbles against the

a Seed is Sown

march 2005

gardening issue

4

seed, the digestive process of birds and animals orthe natural processes of soil fungi and bacteria tobreak down the hard shell.

Other seeds need to be cold stratified, goingthrough a period of cold before they will breakdormancy. In areas with cold winters, obviouslythis is to prevent their germinating prematurelyin the fall. We can easily imitate this by provid-ing a moist cool condition in our fridge for amonth or two. Conversely, some desert plantsneed weeks of extremely hot temperaturesbefore they will break dormancy, in anticipationof fall rains and winter moisture.

The most unique requirement for some seeds togerminate might be scorching, which in nature isperfectly reasonable for those 'chaparral' plantsthat invite and depend on the cycles of fire toregenerate vegetation and growth. Finally, someplants are what we call allelopathic, "mutuallysuffering" and produce allelopathic chemicalsthat actually inhibit the growth of competitorswithin their staked-out domain, including theirown progeny.

The basic conditions for the successful germina-tion of all seeds are the same: adequate mois-ture, evenly warm temperature, and a well-aer-ated medium in which to grow. Many seedsrequire light as well, so planting depth is evenmore critical to these species. The general rule isthat a seed should be planted no deeper than itslength, or widest dimension.

Germination begins with the seed's absorptionof water. When it has swollen to twice its size,the seed coat cracks, allowing oxygen to pene-trate and in its presence, the energy from storedfoods fuels the initial growth spurt of theembryo. For most garden seeds, the minimumideal temperature is 75

oF. Heat loving plants

like eggplant and peppers, though, require atleast 80o F.

Leslie Campbell is Co-owner with Ron Jacob of SEEDSWEST GARDEN SEEDS, which for 15 years has beenproviding Heirloom, Open-pollinated and Organic veg-etable, flower and herb seeds to growers of theSouthwest. Come visit with Leslie and Ron at theValley Garden Party Saturday March 19 and at Nob HillCelebrate the Earth Fest Sunday April 17.

by Leslie Campbell

TT he wonderful cycle, for all of us who garden, is about to be setinto motion by the simple act of planting a seed. Every year atthis time I ponder upon and marvel at the magical process that

produces so much abundance from what seems so humble a beginning,a single and often minuscule seed.

A Bit of BotanyA seed results from pollination, which occurs in five essential naturalways: wind pollination (anemophily), pollination by insects (ento-mophily) and birds (ornithophily), or even bats (chiropterophily) andpollination by water (hydrophily). We really should add pollinationby mammals, like mice and small rodents, and of course, humans.Pollination is the fertilization that occurs between the male andfemale parts of a flower. Plants can have both male and female flow-

ers on the same plant, called monoecious, meaning "'One House,"or have male and female flowers on separate plants, called dioe-cious, meaning "Two Houses." A single flower, too, can have bothmale and female parts and is called a “perfect” flower, whereasother plants, notably squash, have separate male and female flow-ers,“imperfect” flowers on the same plant. A perfect flower is self-pollinating, having both the male organ (the stamen) with its pollen-carrying anthers and the female organ (the pistil) with its stigma toreceive the pollen.

Those plants with separate male and female flowers must depend oninsects. Other plants, among them many grains and grasses, dependon wind to carry the male pollen, sometimes miles, to a receptive wait-ing female. Corn is one such plant, with the male tassels above, thatwhen shaken by the wind, release pollen to the female silks below.

Ingenious NatureMost pollen producing plants are wind pollinated and produce prodi-gious amounts of fine, easily airborne pollen. Because they don't needto attract a pollinator, their flowers are not brightly colored, have nonectar, and little or no fragrance, which are the main attributes ofthose flowers pollinated by insects like honeybees, bumblebees,

The basic conditions for the successful germination of allseeds are the same: adequate moisture, evenly warm temperature, and a well-aerated medium in which to grow.

dandelionseeds

are dispersed by the wind

www.LosPoblanosOrganics.com

Los Poblanos Organics

681-4060

by Le Adams, Farm to Table, Farm to SchoolThe Southwest Marketing Network was organized to help assist farm-ers and ranchers in the Four Corners states as they bring their productto market. Selling through farmers’ markets, going organic, alter-native and niche markets, sales to schools, CSAs, agricultural pol-icy, heirloom varieties, and conservation values are all subjects thatwill be covered in the 3rd Annual Southwest Marketing Networkconference program, held at the Sheraton Old Town Hotel inAlbuquerque, March 12-15th.

Farmers, ranchers, community food activists, and agency andextension personnel are all welcome. “The enthusiasm that partic-ipants bring to our conferences is heartening and provides fertileground for the learning, sharing, and collaboration that is neededto rebuild local food systems in the Southwest”, said Jim Dyer,Project Director of the Southwest Marketing Network. Jim is basedin the Durango, Colorado area and raises sheep with his family.

This year the conference includes tracks on:• Alternative marketing opportunities, boosting production andprocessing, marketing approaches, business tools, and policy• Special workshops on marketing coops, grass-fed livestock, foodand agricultural policy• Local farm and related small business tours• Sessions on business management, farm to cafeteria, farmers’ mar-ket rapid assessment, specialty crops, organics, buy local, businessplanning, food systems, nutrition issues, scaling up, e-commerce,traditional native foods, growing new farmers, working with policymakers, product development, CSAs, labeling and more!

farming issue

march 2005 5

New Greenhouse, New Growing Season

II t has been a long time in coming, but Rio Grande Community Farms,(RGCF), will soon begin using our newly built greenhouse! It willfurther help us to serve our community gardeners! If you are

unacquainted with RGCF, It is a non-profit organization that collab-orates with the City of Albuquerque's Open Space Division. The Farmis located at the historic Los Poblanos Fields in the North Valley. Itwas acquired in 1997 with taxpayer funds. Although the Farm isowned by all of us taxpayers public funds are not used to support thisarea of open space, the daily operations of the farm or to pay for thevaried programs we provide.

One of the goals of RGCF is to utilize its 138 acres to enhance thehabitat of urban wildlife. Preserving, creating and enhancing the habi-tat of wildlife species and promoting stewardship of the land are atthe core of RGCF's mission. Having a working organic farm easilyaccessible to all the citizens of Albuquerque helps to demonstrate thesustainable connections between farmland, wildlife and people.

The management contract between the City and RGCF stipulates thatin exchange for farming the land, 25% of the irrigated acreage mustbe planted in wildlife crops such as corn, oats and sorghum. The farmis on the migration routes of hundreds of sandhill cranes, Canadageese and various species of duck. There are also resident species ofring-neck pheasants, songbirds and hawks. All of the creatures aredrawn to the abundance of grain, prey and theprotection of the hedgerows.

Educational outreach to the community is one ofthe Farm's top priorities. The interconnectednessof the land, animals and people can be appreciat-ed here through the varied, farm-based family-ori-ented educational programs open to adults andyoung people grades K-12. One popular culturalevent is the annual Maize Maze. This falls’ designwill be a roadrunner in the corn. RGCF also offersthe Adopt-A-Crop Volunteer program, FoodSecurity Crops and the ever-popular CommunityGarden where you can have your very own per-sonal garden plot to tend for a reasonable fee.

Get Your Garden PlotIf you would like a garden plot, the plots are 3' x85' and cost $75.00 for the season. Additionalplots of the same size are $50.00. There are tools,some seeds and lots of support available to com-munity gardeners. The garden is now going whol-ly organic. The plots are irrigated once a week as

long as there is water in the ditch. Even with ourrecent rains, we are not yet free of the drought, sowe honor the water as a precious resource. Formore information about joining us in the garden,please contact our Garden Coordinator, BeverlyRowe, at rbeverly8@MSN.com.

Even if you don’t have a plot, this is still yourCommunity Farm and you can become a volun-teer. Perks include enjoying the wildlife withoutdriving many miles, walking the peaceful trails, orhelping out in the Community Garden. You canbring your kids, dogs, or even your horse! Otherthan volunteering, RGCF gratefully accepts yoursupport through financial or in-kind contribu-tions. With the new greenhouse almost ready togo, you could "adopt a potting bench". Your dol-

Agriculture from Farm to TableSouthwest Marketing Network

Additionally this year’s conference has several spe-cial events including a “Southwest Reception” atwhich participants can meet the farmers, ranchers,and chefs as they show off a diverse array of foodfrom the fields of New Mexico. Another specialsession hosted by First Nations DevelopmentInstitute entitled “Food Sovereignty for NativeCommunities” will provide an introduction to thebroader food security movement as well asan examination of food security in IndianCountry. Participants will learn to use the“Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool” intheir community, how to build support forfood systems and agricultural enterprisesand hear stories about community effortsundertaking food sovereignty assessments.And finally on Tuesday, March 15, 2005there will be a tour from 1:45 pm to 5:30pm in the Albuquerque area, highlightinglocal farms and farm businesses.

The Southwest Marketing Network, hostof the conference, is a collaboration ofThe National Center for AppropriateTechnology, Farm to Table, The FarmConnection, Traditional Native AmericanFarmers Association, Navajo Nation,Department of Agriculture Colorado State

University, University of Arizona, Henry A.Wallace Center for Agricultural and En-vironmental Policy, and Western Rural De-velopment Center. Major funders of this proj-ect are the WK Kellogg Foundation and USDARisk Management Agency Outreach.

Some scholarships are available. You can find thecomplete conference brochure on their websitewww.swmarketing.ncat.org or contact ladams@cybermesa.com or 505-473-1004 (in Santa Fe) formore information on the conference.

lars are tax-deductible and support our non-income generating projects such as wildlife crops,food bank donations, educational programs, serv-ice learning and matching funds for grants.

The past eight years has seen the successful part-nership of the Open Space division and RioGrande Community Farms acting together to helpmake the dream of preserving a working urbanorganic farm a reality. The varied wildlife and theAlbuquerque community benefit from this collab-

oration and hope to continue to do so for manyyears. All are welcome. It's all still happening onyour Farm. by Lisa Stubblefield

Rio Grande Community Farm: 6804 Fourth StreetNW, #114 Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM 87107(505) 345-4580.

email: riograndecommunityfarm@earthlink.netweb: www.riograndefarm.org

The interconnectedness of the land, animals andpeople can be appreciated through the varied,

farm-based, family-oriented educational programs

Rio Grande Community Farms:Get Your Organic Garden Plot!

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HatchDeming, New MexicoGreen & Red Enchilada Sauces, 15 oz, Sale $2.29

Herbs, Etc.Santa Fe, New MexicoMenopautonic, 60 ct, Sale $13.49,Allertonic 60 ct, Sale $13.49

co-op news march 2005 6

Local Product Spotlight:Heidi’s Jam

LOCAL SALE ITEMSSHOP LOCAL & SAVE

SPECIALS GOOD FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH

Heidi’s Raspberry Jam is a family venture in both farm-ing and product creation. Brother and sister Heidi andDoug work together to create a truly quality local prod-uct. It starts with hand selected raspberries organical-ly grown in Corrales, New Mexico.

Heidi’s Jam uses a blend of four varieties of rasp-berries. Each one selected for the unique flavor,sweetness, texture and color, grown by her brotherDoug. Doug is an organic producer certified by theNew Mexico Organic Commodities Commissionunder the auspices of the Federal Organic Program.This means he uses no artificial fertilizers and nopesticides or herbicides. He is committed to sustain-ing the land in healthy condition for future genera-tions. Previously, he flood irrigated his raspberriesfrom the Rio Grande using the acequia system.Now due to the ongoing drought he has convertedto a drip irrigation system that makes the most effi-

cient use of our precious water. Doug also provideshives in the field for the honeybees to pollinate thedelicate raspberry blossoms. A flock of native RioGrande turkeys control the insect populationamongst the hedge rows.

The jam is made in small batches, by hand with lov-ing care. Heidi slowly cooks the raspberries to abrief and delicate boiling phase. This methodensures that the precious vitamins and beautifulcolor of the natural fruit are preserved for an exqui-site raspberry experience. This delicious low-sugarrecipe was developed in Heidi’s home kitchen forfriends who wanted a healthier jam. Heidi’sRaspberry Jam is inspected and approved by theState of New Mexico Environmental Department.

Corrales is a unique agricultural village farmed bysmall families who have lived here for generations.Located on the western bank of the Rio Grande,Corrales has been farmed since 500 A.D. Backthen the ancestors of the present day PuebloIndians tilled the fertile valley. Subsequent popula-tions of Spanish, French and Italian families settledhere to raise grapes, apples, livestock and RASP-BERRIES! Heidi says “having grown up in thisspecial place has made my brother and I sensitiveto the environmental needs of the world commu-nity and dedicated stewards of the land. Selling ourraspberry jam, fresh raspberries and cut flowers atthe local farmers markets in Santa Fe, Los Alamos,Corrales and Albuquerque brings us in personalcontact with our wonderful customers and hasallowed us to make so many friends.”

Look for Heidi’s Raspberry Jam at both Coop loca-tions. This exquisite jam, perfect for nut butter andjam sandwiches will make any early spring hike thatmuch more beautiful. Eat and enjoy.

Edited by Robyn Seydel

WW hat makes a Coop a Coop? It's members- we own it! If you want to get moreinvolved, consider joining us at our month-

ly Membership Linkage Committee meetings. We meet thesecond Wednesday of the month - and the next meeting ison Wednesday March 9th at 5:30 PM at the Coop's ValleyStore, 2400 Rio Grande NW. We hope to have meetings inSanta Fe and Gallup as the year progresses.

Tam, Roger and Andrew would like to thank Coop mem-bers for voting for us in the last election. We're very hon-ored to be able to serve, and promise to listen to yourideas about the future direction of the Coop. You canreach us at BOD@lamontanita.com or by dropping offmessages at the front desks at any of the stores.

Our meeting on February 2nd was very fruitful. TroutRodgers and Eric Chrisp, both former board members,brought us up to date on the committee's activities - look forthe new "Board Boards" in each store where a poster willkeep you informed about meeting dates and board activities.

We brainstormed ideas on increasing member participationin many of the community efforts that the COOP is involved

with. A discussion of our own community currency, code-named COOP CASH, would allow members to barter andtrade services in a cashless yet equitable way. Communitieslike Ithaca and Olympia have had great success with alter-native currencies - and we thought it would great to have acontest to design the best-looking “Greenback”. We alsolike the idea of creating a community room where memberscould socialize, share ideas, and expertise with each other,maybe even have a lecture series!

Coffee with the BoardThese ideas are tiny seedlings now, but with your help,we can create a sustainable world we're proud of. TheBoard of Directors, in a continuing effort to reach out toour members, is starting a monthly "Coffee with theBoard." These get-togethers are an open format opportu-nity to have a conversation about our shared vision.

The first one is planned for Sunday March 13th from 10AM to Noon in front of the Nob Hill Store. Future“Coffee with the Board” get-togethers are in the plan-ning stages for the Valley, Gallup and Santa Fe loca-tions. Come and join in the fun!

Board of DirectorsMembership Linkage Committee

deliciousjam

March is Member Appreciation

VOLUME DISCOUNTSHOPPINGMONTH!Watch your mailbox for your Member Appreciation Volume DiscountCoupon. Bring it in any day during the month of March for a one-timeVolume Discount Shopping Trip! The more you spend the more you save!

Member Appreciation Volume Discount Shopping!Spend $0-$29.99: get 5% off • Spend $30-$79.99: get 10% offSpend $80 or more: get 15% off!

Good at all 4 coop locations: Nob Hill, Valley, Gallup and Santa Fe. Newand renewing members get your volume disount coupon with your newcoop member cards.

FFAAIIRRTRADECOFFEE

AT YOURCOOP

Calendar of Events3/8 Social Responsibility Research Committee 5:30pm 122 Tulane

3/9 Member Linkage 5:30pm Valley Coop

3/13 Coffee with the Board 10am-12pm Nob Hill Coop

3/16 Paper or Plastic Booksigning 4:30-6pm Marketplace Coop

3/19 Valley Garden Party 10am-3pm Valley Coop

3/23 Gallup Community Meeting/Volunteer Program Development

5:30pm Wild Sage Coop

3/30 Santa Fe Community Meeting 5:30pm Marketplace Coop

co-op news march 2005 7

With all the education on over-fishing and concernsabout the sustainability of the seas, your choice offish oil supplements is just as important as when yougo to the meat and fish counter. Nordic Naturalshas been monitoring the hot spots for overfishingfor the last nine years. Their policy has alwaysbeen to utilize fish species that are not endan-gered, and to harvest them from waters notexposed to overfishing. Nordic Naturals alsoensures that the fish harvested are utilized 100%for human or animal consumption.

Nordic Naturals uses four fish species of whichnone are considered overfished or endangered theyare: Arctic Cod (no Atlantic cod or Rock cod both

of which are considered endagered), Anchovies,Mackerel and Sardines.

Nordic Naturals is greatly concerned about over-fishing. The company has aligned itself with a lead-ing marine researcher at the University of Tromsoin Arctic Norway, and receives updated informa-tion about fish stock estimates in Norway andneighboring waters every week. ConsequentlyNordic Naturals only harvests fish that are in plen-tiful supply and that are in no way the subject ofoverfishing.

Both locations of La Montanita carry a selection ofNordic Natural products in their HBA Departments.

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MM onica Rude left the cold, gray winter ofUpstate New York in 1988 and moved tothe desert. She writes “I was amazed by

the sunshine. Within a few months, spring arrived in a glorious profusion of wildflowers like I had neverexperienced. I was in love! The light, the rocks, theclouds, the dirt, the plants, the energy... were trans-forming. I was here to stay. That's when I became... adesert woman.”

After studying with the well-known southwesternherbalist Michael Moore, Monica left behind a twentyyear nursing career to be outside with the plants. Shesays “gardens became my habitat. Plants became myteachers. I especially love weeds - they have a lot tooffer.” She started her own nursery business, becominga certified organic grower and created the DesertWoman Botanicals herbal product line. During the earlyyears many Coop members bought Monica’s herbplants at La Montanita's Earth Day and Garden party cel-ebration, fresh harvested herbs at the Coop’s harvestfestivals and attended her classes on herb cultivation.

Desert Woman Botanicals’ best known products are theDesert Woman’s exclusive product “Fire Cider” and aseries of cremes and lotions including “Rehab” and “FabFoot.” Fire Cider is a hot, sweet, sour, experience that isa general health tonic. Made from her home grown pow-erful cayenne it's easy heat fades into a slow burn thatcan be used as a mood lifter, mover of chi, digestive aid,decongestant, anti-microbial, tonic for heart and circu-lation, immune system and liver. In an apple cider vine-gar base, it contains no alcohol.

Re-hab Crème is used for sore muscles and joints andinflammation after physical work out, surgery, or injuryby runners, bikers, athletes, and anyone subject tophysical exertion. “Fab Foot” crème soothes and healsdry cracked, hard-working feet and hands.

try theLavenderLotion!

Local Product Spotlight:Desert Woman Botanicals

State Senator John Grubesic (D), Santa Fe, hasintroduced Senate Bill 906. The title of the bill isthe “Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Act”.

The purpose of the Genetically Engineered FoodLabeling Act is to create and enforce the fundamentalright of the people of New Mexico to know if they arebuying or eating genetically engineered food and tohave choice in buying or eating food that has beenaltered through genetic engineering.

The labeling bill would apply to food derived fromgenetically engineered components and dairy andmeat products that have been fed genetically engi-neered feed. The labeling would also indicate if ani-mal genes have been transferred into plants, allow-ing vegetarians to observe their dietary guidelines.

All Desert Woman products are made using fresh herbsgrown in her certified organic gardens in Gila, NewMexico. They never contain any chemical preservatives,petroleum products or synthetic fragrances. Instead ofchemicals she uses vitamins, grapefruit seed extract, &benzoin which are considered natural preservativeswithout side effects. Other ingredients include olive oil,beeswax and essential oils that have anti-oxidant activ-ity and contribute to the natural preservative effects.

Monica says “I believe in good old fashioned customerservice and make quality products with no junk in them.Opening any of my jars is like stepping into my gardens.”

This year Desert Woman Botanicals is unveiling twonew products: Lavender Light Lotion and Creme ofLemon Supreme. They are both luscious, buttery, smellheavenly and are great for your skin! A luxurious blendof lavender flowers for the entire body, Lavender LightLotion softens, soothes and moisturizes skin. A delightfor all your senses, smooth on right after a bath, at bed-time to promote restful sleep. Or try the invigorating,refreshing essence of lemon with the triple treat ofMeyer lemons, lemon grass and lemon verbena in theLemon Supreme Body Lotion.

Desert Woman Botanicals specializes in capturing thehealing energies of the Southwest Desert and bottling itup for our benefit. Look for Desert Woman Botanicalproducts in the HBA department at the Valley locationor come meet Monica in person at both the ValleyCoop’s Garden Party and the 16th Annual Celebratethe Earth Fest in Nob Hill.

Enforcement of the labeling will be done by the NewMexico Department of Environment. The bill wouldbecome effective on January 1, 2006.

Polls show that over 90% of Americans want GE foodlabeling. This bill provides New Mexico consumers theinformation they need to make informed decisionsabout their diet. Please contact your State Senator andask them to support this important Bill. For furtherinformation contact: Jim Hannan, Chair GE FoodCommittee, Sierra Club 988-5760.

GE Food Labeling Bill in StateLegislature

actionaalleerrtt!

Member of International Society of Arboricultureand Society of Commercial Arboriculture

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The Faces of Santa Fe’s New Co-op at the MarketPlace Grocery.Staff and Shoppers below are all smiles as they look forward to building upon the strong community base already established there.Join us for our 1st events: March 16th at 4:30pm for a talk and booksigning with “Paper or Plastic” author Dan Imhoff and

March 30th at 5;30pm for a Community Volunteer Program Meeting.

It's that time again! People all overAlbuquerque and throughout the state aregetting ready for the 16th AnnualCelebrate the Earth Festival. You canexpect the same wonderfully inspiring dayfilled with information and educationbooths from dozens of environmental,social and economic justice organiza-tions, local farmers, seedlings, droughtresistant plants, beautiful art from finelocal artists and crafts people, inspiringmusic and dancing by some of ourfavorite local performing artists and ofcourse great Coop food.

We are looking forward to having groupsas diverse as Hawkwatch, Citizens forAlternatives to Radioactive Dumping,Citizen Action, Albuquerque Center forPeace and Justice, Hunger Grow Away,Albuquerque Active Living Alliance, theRio Grande Chapter of Slow Food, City ofAlbuquerque Human Rights Office, watereducation from City Public Works, TheRio Grande Community Farms, BernalilloCountry Extension and the MasterGardeners, New Mexico OrganicCommodity Commission, Seeds West,Desert Woman Botanicals, Peacecraftand much, much more.

As always you can count on hearingsome of your favorite musicians andthrilling to performances from our giftedlocal performers. Some festival favoritesare coming back, and we are once againhonored to have them grace the littlestage under the big tent, in the middle ofSilver Street.

There are some performing groups thatmake Earth Day the wonderful event itis. Two that come immediately to mindare Dancing Horse Drum group, whosetraditional Native American singing anddrumming always help get the whole fes-tival off to a good start. Also EvaEncinas' Alma Flamenca brings the artand passion of flamenco to succeedinggenerations and to our Celebrate theEarth Festival year after year. Anotherinspiring group of dancers coming backthis year for an encore are Pilar Letoand the Odara Dance Ensemble withtheir high energy drummers SambaSoul. Once Pilar and friends get youmoving you can keep the dance in thestreet groove going with three of ourcommunity dance favorites already con-firmed. Check out the dance-funkgroove of Mucho Buddah,

world beat favorite Wagogo and therocking country blues of the ChrisDracup Band. Watch the April CoopConnection for more information andschedules.

Our little street fills up quickly so pleasereserve you booth space early. We dogive first priority to environmental, socialand economic justice non-profit organi-zations and farmers and farming organi-zations.

We're praying for a beautiful day, andwith Mother Earth's blessing wewill once again take time to celebrate"Her" and reaffirm our commitment torestoring and sustaining our blue/greenplanetary gem.

Join your friends and neighbors as weeducate and inform ourselves to that endand joyously dance in the streets atAlbuquerque's favorite spring gathering.Mark your calendar; this is one eventyou don't want to miss.Sunday, April 17th10:30 am to 6pm.For more information or to reserve yourfree booth space please contact Robyn at 256-4594.

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Gallup’s Wild Sage: the Next StageFrom moving the sign to setting up shelves Co-op Community Members from Gallup and Albuquerque Cooperated to take

Wild Sage to the next stage, with a paid staff, regular hours and coming soon, a community volunteer program!N e x t C o m m u n i t y Vo l u n t e e r M e e t i n g M a r c h 2 3 r d a t 5 : 3 0 . S e e y o u t h e r e .

gorgeous greens march 2005 10

Greens are up and are they beautiful. From fid-dle heads to dandelions, arugula to kale, greenis popping out all over. Clear your blood,cleanse your palette and strengthen your kid-neys as you get ready for summer.

Adapted and reprinted form the followingsources:www.epicurious.comwww.globalgourmet.com www.wold-harvest.comwww.care2.comwww.vegweb.com

Mediterranean Arugula Salad

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, thinlysliced crosswise1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved1 8-ounce container small mozzarella balls,drained, halved1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans),drained1 cup thinly sliced red onion4 cups arugula

Serve with: Wedges of lightly toasted rose-mary focaccia. Whisk first 6 ingredients insmall bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil.Season dressing with salt and pepper.Combine fennel, tomatoes, mozzarella, chick-peas, red onion, and arugula in large bowl.Add dressing; toss to coat and serve.

Frisee Salad with Cucumber and Radishes

1/2 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), peeled, halved lengthwise, cored,and thinly sliced diagonally (2 cups)2 teaspoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper2 oz frisée, trimmed(3 cups loosely packed)1 bunch watercress, trimmed and toughstems discarded (3 cups loosely packed)2 oz baby spinach (2 cups loosely packed)6 radishes, sliced, then cut into matchsticks

Toss cucumber with vinegar, oil, salt, andpepper in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.Add frisée, watercress, spinach, and radishesand toss well.

Chopped Arabic Salad

1 lemon3/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper3 tablespoons olive oil2 (1/2-lb) cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice(2 1/3 cups)1 lb tomatoes (3 medium), cut into 1/3-inchdice (2 1/2 cups)1 cup finely chopped red onion or 1 cup chopped scallions (about 5)1 cup coarsely chopped purslane (optional)1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint (from 1 bunch)

Cut peel, including all white pith, from lemonwith a sharp paring knife. Working over a bowl,cut segments from half of lemon free from mem-branes and transfer segments to a cutting board,then squeeze juice from membranes and remain-ing 1/2 lemon into bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoonsjuice to a large bowl, then finely chop segmentsand add to measured juice. Add salt, pepper, andoil, whisking to combine, then stir in remainingingredients.

Peppered Salmon with Snow Peas and Ginger

1 lb. snow peas or sugar snap peas, ends trimmed1 tablespoon finely ground Sichuan peppercorns, optional6 salmon fillets, each 5-6 oz, skinned2 teaspoons corn oil1 teaspoon Asian sesame oilsaltfreshly ground black pepper, if not usingSichuan peppercorns6 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger1/3 cup dry sherry3 tablespoons soy sauce3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of saltedwater to a boil. Add the peas and simmer untilbright green, about 1 minute. Drain and setaside. If using the ground Sichuan pepper, sprin-kle it on both sides of each salmon fillet, distrib-uting it evenly.

In a wide, frying pan large enough to hold thesalmon in a single layer without crowding,warm the corn oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets and cook untillightly golden on one side, about 4 minutes.Turn, season with salt and, if the Sichuan pepperhas been omitted, with black pepper as well.Continue to cook until lightly golden on the sec-ond side and opaque throughout when piercedwith a knife, about 4 minutes longer. Transferthe salmon to a warmed platter or individualplates and cover loosely with aluminum foil tokeep warm.

S H O PC O - O P S H O PC O - O P S H O PC O - O P S H O P C O - O P S H O P

BBUYLOCALSAVE

gorgeous

greens

gorgeous greens march 2005 11

Place the same pan over medium-high heat.When it is hot, add the peas, green onionsand ginger and toss and stir constantly untilthe green onions soften, about 1 minute. Addthe sherry, soy sauce and vinegar and bring toa boil. Boil until the liquid reduces by one-fourth, 20-30 seconds.

Remove from the heat and pour the vegeta-bles and sauce over and around the salmon.Serve immediately.

Quick Marinated Fiddleheads

5 lbs fresh fiddleheads1 lb fresh wild leeks, ramps or shallotsFresh peppers - hot or mild to tasteFresh herbs (cut fine)- basil, tarragon,thyme, rosemary and chives.5 cups apple cider or wine vinegar5 cups extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp sugar salt to taste

Clean and rinse fiddleheads. Blanch fiddle-heads in boiling water for 1 minute. Removefrom heat, drain and rinse in cold water tocool them. Clean and cut up peppers, wildleeks and fresh herbs.

Pour vinegar over cooled fiddleheads in anon-reactive container. Add cut up peppers,wild leeks, herbs, sugar and salt. Stir to wetall ingredients. Add olive oil and stir again.Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Cooling Couscous with Peas, Mint and Lettuce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil6 to 8 scallions, white and some green parts, sliced thinly2 1/4 cups vegetable broth2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice2 cups frozen tender baby green peas,thawed and drained2 cups shredded butter lettuceSalt and ground black pepper to taste1 1/3 cups instant couscous2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh mint

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skil-let. Add scallions and cook, stirring continu-ously, for about 1 minute. Add broth andlemon juice.

Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, thenuncover and add peas, lettuce, salt, and pep-per. Return mixture to a boil and stir in cous-cous. Return once again to a boil, then imme-diately cover, remove from the heat, and allowto stand for 5 - 7 minutes, until all the broth isabsorbed. Fluff with fork. If you are makingthis dish in advance, it may be stored at thispoint for 24 hours, covered, in the fridge.

Before serving, return to room temperatureand toss with mint.

Spanish-Style Chard with Raisins & Hazelnuts

3 tablespoons raisins1 pound Swiss chard, washed well2 tablespoons olive oil2 garlic cloves, minced3 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, choppedSalt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Place the raisins in a small pan with water tocover. When the water begins to boil, take thepan off the heat, and let the raisins sit for at least5 minutes. While the raisins are soaking, cuteach Swiss chard leaf away from the stem andcentral rib. Cut the leaves into 1/4-inch cross-wise slices. Dice the stems and the central ribs.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over mediumheat. Add the Swiss chard and the garlic, andsaute, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes oruntil the chard is tender. Drain the raisins, andtoss them and the hazelnuts into the Swisschard. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Italian Greens and Beans

1/2 small onion diced6-8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced6-8 ounces small mushrooms, sliced 1 Tb. olive oil1/3 c. dry white wine1 big bunch spinach, cleaned and stemmed1 big bunch kale, cleaned and stemmed1 can cannellini beans (white beans)salt and pepper

Saute the onion in olive oil over medium-highheat until translucent. Turn the heat down tomedium low and add garlic and mushrooms.When the mushrooms begin to let off their juicesand/or when garlic starts to brown, add the wineand reduce.

Cut out the really tough stems from the kale andspinach. When you wash your greens, a little ofthat moisture will help them steam. Coarselychop the greens. Add the kale first and steam withthe lid on for a few minutes. Add your spinachand cannellini beans, stir, and put the lid back on.When your greens are wilted but still nice andgreen and the white beans are heated through,season with salt and pepper to taste.

fiddleheads

889-7755 • www.nmefcu.org • Member NCUA

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one should think like me" syndrome which leadsnowhere except frustration and self-alienation. Imean, personally I think the world would be a bet-ter place if everyone listened to, say, the Ramonesor Johnny Thunders at least once a week but thatain't happenin'.

Which brings us to the Federal defi-nition of organic. When the federalesget involved at any level, things gohaywire and the USDA/NationalOrganic Program (NOF) is no excep-tion. As a State of New Mexicoorganic inspector for over a dozenyears now, believe me, I know.

Here's the short version: the NOPmakes the rules but leaves it to states

and/or privately-owned agencies (which the NOPaccredits) to certify, regulate and many times enforcetheir rules. This is done through on-site inspectionsand the equivalent amount of trees you could actu-ally grow on any given farm to manufacture all thepaper it takes to document that entire process.

The NOP rules are at times necessarily vague sinceit’s a one-size-fits-all approach (actually its more likeone-size-fits-none but nevermind). For examplewhat passes for livestock pasture here in the south-west makes certifiers and inspectors in Minnesotacringe and gnash their teeth. I've had some of thesefolks argue that organic certification of pasture otherthan lush green rolling hills shouldn't be allowed,

which would effectively disallow organic livestock inmuch of the southwest. I 'd argue that rather thanwastefully importing it from elsewhere (and con-tributing to that locale's enviro-degradation) its bet-ter to have some local eco-friendly guidelines.

There's also pro's and con's for organic food pro-cessing and handling. Regardless of whether giantorganic processing facilities ought to exist, manywouldn't without allowances for nasty pest controlmaterials and in certain cases some synthetic pro-cessing aids. Stuffing edibles into cans, boxes, bagsand bottles takes a lot of monkeying with the food.How could it not? If you buy organic versions ofjunk food, its your demand that's driving theirdevelopment and the methods that may qualify tothe letter of the law as organic but aren't alwaystrue to the spirit of organic as intended.

I've run out of room this month and I've barelyscratched the surface: there's also the EuropeanUnion definition of organic with each country fur-ther tweaking on what they'll allow or not, there'sJapan's which many of us organic certifiers won'ttouch because of the immensity of their regulatorysystem but to me there's one plain and simple sure-fire definition of organic: buy as much as you canfrom local farms. What you can't get local, buy inbulk. What you can make yourself, do. What youcan't make, re-evaluate whether you really need itor not. Easier said than done of course but thatdoesn’t mean we ought to stop trying.

by Brett Bakker

march 2005

farming issue

AA fter decades of stereotypes (dingy little health food store-fronts or hippies of questionable hygiene filling the bulguror oat bins the word "organic" is if not well understood at

least a term that the average consumer has heard and now morethan ever equates with something good for you. But there aremany definitions of organic, depending on who you're talking to.

The word organic as defined bychemists has zero to do with organ-ic farming so let's just drop it rightoff the bat, ok? To all of you withchem degrees, I apologize that ustree-huggers have co-opted theword that you've used for longerthan we have. But them's thebreaks; no hard feelings.

Then there's the general perceptionof organic which the less-informedcasual natural food shopper has: 100% clean pure natural pic-turesque farms with fresh-faced kids in coveralls romping withthe chickens and goats in the barnyard before picking bushelbaskets of hand-hoed carrots. Sorry, folks, there's only a few ofthose farms anywhere and chances are their crops are eaten longbefore they have any chance to get anywhere near a natural-foodgrocery chain shelf.

There's the farm/garden that supplies crops for their family firstthen local farmer's markets and then maybe some surplus totheir neighborhood co-op but who bristle at the Federal defini-tion and control of "organic". There's lots of contention hereand although I'm a person who actively participates (i.e. works)in that Fed fiasco, I still believe its helpful for the average ill-informed American who only wants to see "organic" on a boxor bag or produce sign and not worry about it any further. Yes,of course, it would be better (its argued) if more folks actuallywanted to know more but that easily becomes part of the "every-

12

Organic vs Organic vs Organic vs...

by Eric GarretsonThe slogan on the new rapid ride buses reads“Albuquerque on the Go.” Since I am in the businessof farming and foodscapes, (edible landscaping) andmanage one of our local growers markets, I read“Albuquerque on the Grow.” Grow fruits and vegetablesin your backyard, shop at your local Growers ‘Market orCoop. In this remarkable climate not only do we growwonderful summer and fall produce but with a few simplemeasures we can grow all year.

To grow vegetables in the off-season (fall, winter, spring)begin with a little planning; this is the way all good gar-dens start. One must have some available bed spacesaved for the winter garden. Set aside some beds andgrow a summer cover crop like buckwheat which can beturned under in late August in time for your fall planting.If not yank out those squash bug infested zuchinni plantsand replant with your winter veggies.

All good gardens start with good soil, nice comfortablemulch such as leaves or straw, and drip irrigation, quiteappropriate in this arid climate. For winter gardens it isnecessary to have a row cover, (remay) or a small hoop-house. A row cover is a breathable mesh cover thatallows light and water to come through and gives yourcrops some good frost protection. A hoop-house is avery simple, inexpensive greenhouse that gives your veg-etables even more frost protection.

Many vegetables that do well in cool weather can be plant-ed in February or March but also in late August, Septemberand even through October. Some of those vegetables thatdo well in the cooler seasons are: broccoli, collards, cress,lettuces, kales, leeks, spinach, corn salad, parsley, minerslettuce, turnips, mustards, radishes, carrots, swiss chards,beets, sorrel, chicories, arugula, radicchio, escarole, cab-bage, bok choy, onions, scallions and mizuna. I imaginethe wonderful meals you can create from this list.

But why bother extending your garden into the coolmonths of the year? The word, “easy,” does not usuallygo with the word, “garden,” but I do believe gardening is

a tad bit easier in the cooler seasons. For one thing thereare fewer bugs and weeds, and less water is needed.After eating the best possible produce during the sum-mer months your healthy diet can continue all year.

Good food, local food, brings people together. It encour-ages family, friends, neighbors to celebrate food, inessence to celebrate life. Growing and eating your ownfood is a profoundly rewarding experience. That minis-cule broccoli seed has the promise of generations ofgrowing. Broccoli knows just when the conditions of thecool soil are perfect for germination. Farmers and gar-deners know that a little nurturing can lead to a harmo-nious relationship between plant and human. Vegetablesgive us taste sensations; in return we give them anotherseason of life by saving some seed. In this region it’snever too late to sow some seeds and find yourself eat-ing your own salad on St Patrick’s Day.

For more information on year round growing contact EricGarretson at 480-6943. Come to a gardening workshopon April 2nd, sponsored by the Cooperative ExtensionService, New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission,and the Albuquerque Area Growers’Markets Contact theCooperative Extension Service for time and location.243-1386.

.

There's one plain and simple sure-fire definitionof organic: buy as much as you can from local farms.

What you can’t get local, buy in bulk.

KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME BUY LOCAL KEEP YOUR $$ AT HOME

asparagus...a tastesensation

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(800) 905-3315 / Groups of 20+: 344-1779

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Nylon and Steel:Al Di Meola &Manuel BarruecoTuesday APRIL 5 • 7:30pm

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for the past 25 years as one of the most prominent virtuosos in the con-temporary instrumental jazz field. A nativeCuban, Manuel Barrueco has gained inter-national recognition as a leading figurein the guitar world. A superb instrumen-talist and an elegant musician, hisrecent recording, Cuba, was called "anextraordinary musical achievement" bythe San Francisco Chronicle. Together,the classical guitar of Barrueco and thejazz and rock sounds of Di Meola make foran unforgettable night of music.

LIFT YOUR SPIRITS.BE INSPIRED. SEE A SHOW!

www.ovationseries.com

Albuquerque on the Grow

itchy green thumb

by Oanh NguyenAs I watch my daughter gleefully digging in the sand-box I think to myself: I really have to plant a garden forher this year. Kids love to get dirty and watch thingsgrow, so gardening is a natural activity for them. It teach-es them about the wonder of nature, the caring of livingthings, and the effects we have on our environment. Buthow can we keep gardening fun for children (and our-selves) beyond just picking out the seeds from all thosegreat catalogs!

Give your child some space — literally! Dedicate asmall plot of the garden just for them. Put a fancy borderaround it, perhaps purchase one of the stepping stone-making kits found at crafts stores in which they can moldtheir name and make their handprint. If you have olderchildren, say 8 or 9 or older, give them a group of flow-ers and vegetables from which to choose, and then letthem draw out their garden. Kids have great ideas whenit comes to gardening and come up with things you neverthought of doing. Allow them to plant what they wantthere, but also require them to do the watering and weed-ing. By giving them control of their little garden area itwill teach them about responsibility and cause and effect.

Take a field trip to the nursery together. Let your kidsknow you value their opinion. Ask them which kinds ofplants, flowers, and vegetables they would like to plant.Explain what will work well in your garden and what won’t.Give them (limited) choices. While you’re at the nursery,ask them if they’d like pansies or petunias, marigolds orzinnias. This will give them the feeling of power withoutletting it get out of control. An important lesson in garden-ing for everyone is money doesn’t grow on trees. Witholder children discuss the budget. Let them help selectseeds and blossoming plants at the nursery — and turn itinto a math lesson. Let your child do the money calcula-tions — they can tell you when the money runs out!

Keep the garden kid-friendly. Don't plant anything thatcould be poisonous particularly if your little gardenersstill tend to taste test everything. Plants such as castorbeans (it only takes a few to poison an adult) could easi-ly be mistaken for a treat. Better yet- plant edible flowerslike-daylilies, hollyhock, marigolds, nasturtiums. Makewide paths for them to walk easily in the garden withoutfalling on the plants (they still will, but if the paths areobvious, there's a better chance they'll keep to them).Don't forget to fence off stuff you REALLY don't want toget stepped on. And don't forget to pick up things theycould get hurt on- tools, discarded fencing, etc.

Let your child do what he will (especially if you have apreschooler). Let him dig, explore, play with bugs. Whenmy friend's son was little, he'd sit out in the garden withme for hours, as long as he had a place to dig with his lit-tle bulldozers and dump trucks. Nothing ever grew there,but he was so happy in his corner of the garden! You maybe tempted to steer your child in another direction (likeactually watering or weeding his garden), but this is a greatway for your child to explore this exciting new universe.

Most importantly, make it fun! Build a teepee out ofsticks and plant red runner beans to grow around theteepee. This makes a great kid hidout in the summer(don't plant anything in the teepee- it will get squashedbeneath the kids!) Kids also love planting sunflowers,and you can make a "sunflower house" by planting thesun flowers with some space in the middle (a circle orsquare pattern) and then adding a roof of sticks once thesunflowers are big. Corn mazes are fun if you have theroom. Cut a maze into the maize (ha ha) while the corn isyoung. By the time it grows big, you've got a really coolpattern. For the little ones- give them large seeds toplant- squash, morning glories, beans and corn are alleasy for little fingers to handle.

But the real reason the young (and the young at heart)get involved in gardening is because it's fun! Whodoesn't want to play in the garden on a beautiful dayand get their hands dirty?

gardening issue

a Rose is a Rose...is an Appleby Corva Rose

TT his Earth is a watery, blue-green planet. She is clothed in gar-ments of varied vegetation. And because of the plants, otherforms of life are able to breathe oxygen, eat food, have shade

and protection, and inhabit a beautiful place.

This basic, yet very profound, observation can give rise to muchgratitude for being born here. We know this. And then we say,“What do you mean, ‘inhabit a beautiful place?!’ I mean, this plan-et is quickly becoming a trash heap, after all!”

Yes. And no. Standing on the cool morning ground under a largeapple tree, you are looking up at the brilliant blue sky. And you arelooking at this sky through the shiny, silvery, sometimes-roughbranches of this lovely tree. Peering closely at the branches, you cansee thousands of knobby-looking buds, called spurs, which are get-ting ready to flower. This tree, if it gets pollinated and receivesenough water, will bear fruit.

“So,” we may ask, “Why bother learning anything about apple trees,let alone sing their praises? And what do you mean by ‘botanical?’”Basically, botany is a useful and rewarding scientific study and classi-fication of plants. Unfortunately, it scares off many folks with its useof technical jargon that constitutes the “language” of the science. Itdoesn’t have to be so frightening. For example, take the apple treeyou’re standing under: Did you know it’s in the rose family, called“Rosaceae?” Yes, it’s related to the rose! As in all plants of the rosefamily (pear, cherry, hawthorn, plum, wild rose, et al), the flowers arefive-fold, meaning they have five petals. The stems of both roses andapples end in a receptacle, the ovary, which is expanded and hol-lowed out, like a cup or urn. The ovary contains ovules, immature

Gardening with Kids!

march 2005 13

create a kid friendlyGARDEN!

identify the particulars of your orchard site.” Weare very lucky to live in a bioregion that honorsand supports this magnificent tree.

When we stand or sit under an apple tree, we arecalmed and nourished. Looking closely at thebranches, we can see the thousands of five-foldflowers sitting pinkly upon their buds, awaitingpollination. It is spring in the Rio Grande Valley,and all around us apple trees remind us of theregenerating power of nature.

Corva Rose is the owner of divine earth: aestheticpruning and restoration, a local pruning company.She can be reached at 203-8968

Local Free Classes: 1. Saturday, March 19th, 9:30 – noon: topic: fruit treepruning and restoration. place: local north valley resi-dence. Class size limited; pre-registration required:203-89682. Saturday, March 26th, noon-1: topic: fruit tree prun-ing. Place: Plants of the Southwest Nursery: 344-88303. Saturday, April 2nd, 10-noon: topic: fruit tree prun-ing. Place: Erda Gardens CSA: 255-7959

seeds, which are fertilized when pollen lands on thestigmas of the flower and travels down the styletubes to the awaiting ovules. Researchers havedetermined that it takes sixty-eight bee visits perflower to produce a fruit with a high number ofseeds. After fertilization, it is the perianth (petalsand sepals surrounding and attached to the ovary)which swells and becomes the delicious apple fruit.

The apple tree is the oldest cultivated tree inEurope: Archeological finds of apples in humansettlements date from the Neolithic. The fruitstrengthens the whole metabolism, balances thedigestion, stimulates blood production as well asthe metabolism of fats, and cleanses the system.Apple skin tea stimulates the bladder and kidneys,relaxes the nervous system, and reduces fever.Apple wood is one of the hottest burning woods inthe northern hemisphere. It pumps out 23,877,000BTU’s per chord when burned, which ranks itamong Hickory, Ironwood, Locust, and Oak.

Locally, the Rio Grande Valley has a rich traditionof growing apples. Tucked away in fertile back-yards and old orchards, thousands of apple treesare being restored and enjoyed. Many are close to100 years old. Often, their genetic potential andancestry are unnamed, but the fruit is tasty. In NewMexico, the heritage surrounding growing, prun-ing, thinning, and harvesting is experiencing resur-gence. New research is being conducted on root-stocks, insects, diseases, soil health, and irrigation.The fruit orchard is a complex place. As MichaelPhillips states in The Apple Grower, “Your stew-ardship path will become clearly defined as you

apples :members of the rose family (rosaceae)

www.beanplanter.com

Tax Preparation & PlanningNot just counting the beans -

sowing seeds for the future.

Donal S. Kinney, CPA, MBA, MAcc.Santa Fe (505) 474-6733

health & healing march 2005 14

“April is the cruelest month” - T. S. Eliot

by Ethan Miller DHHP, HD (RHom.), DMHFor those who dread the approach of spring and theannual return of hayfever symptoms – homeopathy ishere to help! For over 200 years homeopathy hasbeen successfully treating a wide variety of illness-es with its gentle non-toxic remedies and holisticapproach to healing. For the allergy sufferer,homeopathy offers a spectrum of treatments thatattack the problem at progressively deeper levels.This offers not only temporary, symptomatic reliefbut also deeper curative treatment that uproots thesources of chronic allergies. Let’s take a look atsome of these treatment approaches:

Symptomatic treatment: In this approach, a reme-dy is selected on the basis of the symptom pro-file of the individual patient. Some fairly precisedistinctions need to be made regarding the exactnature of the symptoms. Here are a couple ofcommon hayfever remedies and the symptomprofile that marks each one:

The remedy Allium cepa is indicated by theexperience of a clear, burning nasal dischargewhich is irritating to the nostrils and upper lip.It is worse in a warm room and better in theopen air. They have a profuse, non-burning tear-ing from reddened eyes. They experience a rawfeeling in the nose with a tingling sensation andviolent sneezing. A frontal congestive headachemay accompany their allergy symptoms. Thesesymptoms may be exacerbated by damp winds.

People who need the remedy Euphrasia have theopposite symptoms: they have profuse burningtears from the eyes and a bland nasal discharge.The eyes and cheeks are red from the burningtears. The eye symptoms are worse in the openair. The nasal discharge is worse at night, whilelying down, and in windy weather.

These are only two of the many homeopathicremedies available; for more information, talk toa homeopathic practitioner. Or, those who wishto treat their minor allergy symptoms themselvescan consult a homeopathic guidebook such asUllman’s “Everybody’s Guide to HomeopathicMedicines.” Many of these common remediesare available at health food stores.

Chinese Medicine Classes

Homeopathic HelpforHayfever

This organization was formed for the purpose of helping peopleunderstand the cause of most ailments. how they can avoid them andattain higher levels of health with good nutrition and healthy food.

MEETINGS ARE HELD ONCE A MONTH AND THE NEXT IS:Time: Thursday, March 3 at 7pmPlace: First Congregational United Church.Address: 2801 Lomas Boulevard N.E., northwest corner of Girardand Lomas N.E. Please use the Girard Street entrance.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:Lloyd Gambling cancer survivor will tell how he cured himself withdiet. Saska Cipoletti B.S. N.D., on remineralization of the humanbody.There will also be a food demonstration featuring vegetariancurry. Everyone is welcome. For more information, phone BernieSmith @792-8300 or Wally Tharp @ 243-1460

Healthy Food Advocates

A 5 week lecture series presented by Dr. Dairne McLoughlin, will exploreorgan systems and how our eating, thinking and the way we feel affects thefunctions of these organs and the balance in our lives.

Class 1 March 10th, Spring, Liver and Gallbladder, Anger Management 101Class 2 March 17th, Summer, Heart and Small Intestines Feel your joy and live itClass 3 March 24th, Late Summer, Spleen and Stomach Stop worryingClass 4 March 31st, Autumn, Lung and Large Intestine, What’s the sadness about?Class 5 April 7th, Winter, Kidneys and Urinary Bladder, Who’s afraid of the dark?

All Classes Thursday nights from 6:30 pm till 8:30pm. At the Herb Store 107Carlisle SE. For more information and fees call Dr Mcloughlin 242-1067.

Desensitization: This approach consists of treat-ing with a homeopathic preparation of the aller-gen itself. So, if you are allergic to a specificpollen, you will be treated with a homeopathicremedy made from that same pollen. This is verysimilar to the desensitization techniques of con-ventional medicine. But treating with the homeo-pathic preparation is far gentler than introducingthe offending substance directly into the bodythrough injection, and the likelihood of anuncomfortable reaction is greatly reduced. Anumber of published studies have confirmed theeffectiveness of this approach to the homeopath-ic treatment of allergies. A report on these stud-ies from the BBC concludes that “The resultswith homeopathy are roughly similar to those adoctor might expect to achieve with a steroidnasal spray. However, homeopathy appears tohave no side-effects whatsoever.”

Constitutional treatment: This is treatment of the“whole person” according to the individuality, ormore properly, the individual typology. This levelof treatment supports the individual systemically,regardless of the condition or symptom fromwhich they suffer.

Causal treatment: The previous approaches haveoffered symptomatic relief and supported the bodyin its efforts to deal with allergies. However, theyhave not provided a cure, in that the underlyingpredisposition toward allergy is not removed. Thiscan only be accomplished by addressing the causesof the deeper energetic imbalances. These causesinclude such things as unresolved trauma, inherit-ed predispositions, emotional factors, and toxicity,among others. Homeopathy has an almost uniqueability to systematically find and treat these causalfactors at the deepest level. Needless to say per-haps, this treatment approach is much moreinvolved than the others and should only be under-taken in consultation with a qualified practitioner.However, for many people this option may offerthe best hope for a long-term solution to the prob-lem of recurrent allergies.

More information call (505) 884-3997 or email:ethan.miller@cheerful.com. Community Class: Vaccination and homeopathicalternatives: March 30, 6:30-8pm at the Herb Store,107 Carlisle SE, in the Nob Hill Shopping Center.

Cecil Taylor TrioNational HispanicCultural Center

Saturday, 7:30pmAPRIL 2

Performance SpaceOUTPOST

210 Yale SEfor more info call 268-0044

MARCH

visit our website: www.outpostspace.org

ARTSCRAWL • Inpost ArtspaceReception: XX Women ArtistsKids Variety Show:Dance Around the World • 1pmTom McDermott-Evan Christopher Duo • 8pmArnaldo Acosta & NutritionCasey NeillPublicity Workshop

Vinicius Cantuaria Quartet(sponsored by Garcia Saab)

Tomasz StankoRoust the HouseTeen Performance Night

NEA JAZZ MASTERS ON TOUR

CECIL TAYLOR RESIDENCYAPRIL 2-6

4

5

5

10111217

2425

March 2–25

Blueprints Self and Systems

Anna Westfall

H A R W O O DARTCENTER

1114 7th Street NW at Mountain Road. For more information, call 505-242-6367

community forum march 2005 15

by Jane BlumeState Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela (D-Santa Fe) andState Sen. Carlos Cisneros (D-Taos) have introducedthe Health Security Act, HB 746 and SB 546, in thissession of the legislature. If passed and signed by theGovernor, we will set up our very own statewidehealth plan that covers about 1.5 million NewMexicans no matter what their health, economic oremployment status, guarantees choice of doctor(even across state lines), provides a generous benefitpackage and controls costs.

This bill is strongly supported by the HealthSecurity for New Mexicans Campaign, a statewidecoalition of 95 (and growing) organizations repre-senting a broad cross-section of the population.

As we know, we are in a real health care crisis inthis country. The number of uninsured has risensteadily from 33 million in 1993 to 43 milliontoday. There are 400,000 uninsured people in NewMexico alone; about 75% hold jobs, but they andtheir employers cannot afford health insurance.

Employers who do offer health insurance haveseen double-digit increases in their premiumsannually for the past few years, and are eitherdropping coverage, decreasing the benefits of theirplans and/or increasing the share of the premiumsthat their employees pay. This means that the vol-untary private insurance system we have relied onfor over 50 years unfortunately has failed.

“Patchwork” solutions like managed care have notworked; therefore, continuing to try to fix thisbroken system is like investing in the horse andbuggy when better alternatives are possible – andavailable. The Health Security Act is a homespun,homegrown proposal, developed over the past 12years with input from people around the state,

which truly meets New Mexico’s needs and is notan imitation of any model.

The Act calls for:• Covering most New Mexicans except for federalretirees and active-duty and retired military, whowill remain with their current plans. The tribes andlarge employers that self-insure may elect to join.

• Providing a generous benefit package that is noless than what is currently offered state employees.

• Creating an independent and publicly account-able citizens’ commission to run the health planthat is geographically representative of the state.

• Financing the health plan through a combinationof public dollars spent on health care (Medicaid, forexample) and individual/family premiums based onincome and employer contributions (with caps).

• A go-slow approach. The health plan will takethree years to implement.

This go-slow approach enables New Mexico toestablish a carefully crafted system of universalcoverage, retain the private delivery system, allowthe insurance industry to participate in a supple-mental insurance market (as it does withMedicare) and more efficiently use our limited andprecious health care dollars.

A 1994 study financed by our legislature andHealth Policy Commission concluded that had a“single-payer” plan been implemented in 1997,health care expenditures would have been reducedby $4.6 billion by 2004. To learn more about theHealth Security Act, call us at 897-1803, or visit ourwebsite, www.nmhealthsecurity.org .

Health Security ActNow in NM Legislature

Film and Lecture SeriesAlbq. Peace & Justice Center, 202 Harvard SE, 268-9557

Every Mother’s Son: Thursday, March 3, 2005, 7pmIn the early 1990s, police forces throughout the U.S. began employing more aggres-sive and militarized tactics. Every Mother's Son recounts three cases of unjustified orquestionable police killings in New York — and tells of the victims' three mothers whocame together to demand justice and accountability. Speaker from AlbuquerqueCopwatch

The Peace Movement: Thursday, March 17, 2005, 7pmFrom September 2002 through February 2003, millions of Americans rose up inresistance to a US invasion of Iraq. The Peace Movement chronicles ordinaryAmericans engaged in extraordinary activism. Iraqi-American guest speaker and arepresentative from the League of Democratic Action.

Monthly Roundtables:Delivering Gardens to Mexico: March 11: 6:30pm with Chuck OHerron-Alex. The paci-fist, communitarian, service-oriented Catholic Worker Movement in New Mexico is offer-ing monthly roundtables. Roundtable location: Casa De Las Communidades: 444Chama SE. For more info call Marcus at 870-2275.

We are looking for volunteers to help launch and stu-dents interested in attending a new elementary char-ter school. Charter schools are free public schoolsand this school will use a 4-day per week programfeaturing multi-age classrooms, personalized educa-tion, hands-on learning and incorporating the latestbrain research. Volunteers are needed in all areas,including people interested in gardening and yoga-style movement and we especially need volunteers

with business and finance skills. There will be aninformation meeting on Sunday, April 17 at 3:30 PMat the Cherry Hills Library.

Please contact Bonnie at 822-5545 orabqbon@yahoo.com if you are interested in vol-unteering or if you have a child who wouldbenefit from such a program.

New Charter School Forming

people before profit

Salt of the Earth RejubilationIt's time for the first ever Salt of the Earth Rejubilation, aseasonal gathering to promote holistic-personal and socialevolution in harmony with higher spiritual and ecologicalconsciousness. If you are someone who enjoys or is inter-ested in the celebration, ceremony, and love of natural life,then come join us on March 12 from noon until midnightin the Harwood Art Center at 1114 7th Street NW,Albuquerque: Live Local Musicians, Tai Chi, MassageTherapists, Yoga, Psychics, Audio-Video and VisualArtists, Classes on topics from Bio-Diesel to Spell Casting,

Dj's, Natural Foods, Drummers, Dancers, and Many OtherSurprises.

Tickets available at Birdland, Abitha's Herbery, and otherTBA locations. All activities are included in the ticketprice, however there will also be crafts and other mer-chandise that local artisans will have for sale. Pleasevisit our website for updates or more detailed informa-tion at www.saltoftheearthnm.com More info call (505)980-4853 ask for Michael

Classical HomeopathyVisceral Manipulation

Craniosacral Therapy

MARY ALICE COOPER, MD

St. Raphael Medical Center204 Carlisle NE Albuquerque, NM 87106

505-266-6522