may 2009connection | special edition

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La Montañita Food Co-op is all about community, and community-building has always been a part of our mission. Long before the Local Food movement became news, La Montañita was New Mexico’s leader in supporting local farmers, ranchers and other food producers. As the produce buyer/manager in the late 1980s and early 90s I made it a priority to buy what I could from local sources. The Co-op Trade Initiative is designed to build on this commitment and to help the Co-op take a greater role in fostering and growing the businesses that make up our local foodshed.

The initiative was launched in 2006 with plans drawn up for a distribution system designed especially to efficiently serve New Mexico. The warehouse facility that is now home to both the Co-op Distribution Center (CDC) and La Montañita’s management and administrative offices was leased at the end of the year. Refrigerators and freezers were built, a warehouse team established, and trucks leased over the course of the winter of 2007. Beneficial Farms’ Steve Warshawer joined me as a liaison to local farmers, and it wasn’t long before things were up and running.

Steve and I began mapping out pick-up and delivery routes throughout New Mexico and Southern Colorado. By spring the Co-op was regularly picking up fresh eggs in La Loma, New Mexico, grass-fed beef in Los Ojos, and spring peas in Española, among other high-quality local foods, for delivery back to Albuquerque.

The CDC serves the Co-op stores and a group of customers who include CSAs, wholesalers, small Co-ops and independent retailers, and food service providers. These are sales channels that would otherwise be inaccessible to many of our growers. From our position at the center of this local, community-based network, Co-op Trade is

able to work closely with everyone involved, helping to assure fair prices for producers and top quality foods for consumers.

On any given day, you will find a hundred or more local and organic items stocked in our warehouse ready for delivery. We also carry organic milk, cheese, fresh juices, a selection of dry grocery items and our own Co-op Trade Flour.

One of the obvious benefits of supporting local food is that the food dollars stay in the community. That seems simple enough, but it’s significant in a number of ways. Large, industrial food producers transport their products thousands of miles—a huge output of carbon emissions daily, coast-to-coast. Even large-scale organic producers, serving major supermarket chains and big box stores, have to truck far and wide in order to maintain the high volume the industrial model demands. So, although a tomato from California and one from Alcalde, New Mexico, may look about the same, the carbon path they’ve traveled is quite different, and that makes a difference to all of us. Of course, as far as freshness is concerned, it’s also nice to know that the Alcalde tomato was picked ripe from the vine the other day, not two or three weeks ago.

I am grateful for the enormous support the Co-op Trade Initiative has received. There are a lot of people to thank for helping us support sustainable agriculture and enhance opportunities for our foodshed growers and producers in the communities they serve.

Michelle Franklin,La Montañita Cooperative Distribution Team Leader

co-op trade

(This article reports on the first of a projected series of “Foodshed Conversations” organized by the Co-op. They will bring together participants from a range of backgrounds to offer a range of perspectives on the common goal of creating a fair and sustainable local food economy.)

The benefits of eating foods produced locally aren’t hard to name. Articulating the challenges can be trickier. With the Co-op’s Steve Warshawer as moderator, Le Adams and Ilana Blankman of Farm To Table, Edible Santa Fe editor Kate Manchester, Santa Fe Alliance Executive Director Vicki Pozzebon, and Jen Silverman of New Mexico’s Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), sat down together one evening in March to do just that.

Why don’t people eat more local food? Why don’t local farmers grow more? One answer to both questions is, they do. In the last few years there’s been measurable progress. Le Adams, who directs Farm To Table’s Farm To School program, described a successful effort to introduce more locally grown fruits and vegetables into school lunches in Albuquerque’s North Valley. Kate Manchester mentioned the growing popularity of farmers’ markets in Santa Fe and around the state.

But locally produced foods remain a small part of most New Mexicans’ diets. Although farmers are growing it and Co-op shoppers, among others, are eating it, there’s lots of room for improvement. Around this particular table, there were lots of thoughts on how to go about it.

Except for ranching, New Mexico isn’t a center of agriculture. It’s the desert, after all. Farming means hard work, long hours, and, for many, a barely adequate income. Along with La Montañita’s Co-op Trade Initiative, there are a number of people and organizations working to change that. Matching up small businesses in advantageous partnerships is what Vicki Pozzebon does. Vicki and Le both described arduous, but occasionally successful, battles to change both state and federal policies that weigh heavily against small and mid-sized business, like subsidies that favor giant industrial farms and tax loopholes that allow big box stores to send most of what they earn out of state.

Everyone agreed that education and economics both require special attention. When it’s easy to buy cheap food—even relatively cheap organic food—at big chain stores, how can consumers be persuaded to do otherwise?

“When you can do a taste test, it usually works,” says Le. “When they actually compare the supermarket tomato to the local farmer’s tomato, people often realize it’s worth the extra few cents.”

But there’s also a need, as Ilana Blankman pointed out, “to strike a balance between trying to change people’s habits and trying to meet people’s needs.” She suggested that, in order to “meet people where they are,” local growers must offer a range of choices, from the heirloom, artisan creation to the everyday tomato. “We have to remember,” Jen adds, “that there are lots of people who buy food at Wal-Mart because that’s what they can afford.” The topic of affordability of local produce became the elephant in the room, and it was promised that this topic would be part of future converstions.

By Jeffrey Lee

Salvador Corona

The impetus for La Montañita’s Regional Foodshed Project grew out of a recognized need to keep our Co-op vibrant, meaningful to members and financially sound in an increasingly competitive market. From Wal-Mart and Costco to national natural foods and conventional grocery chains, many of the products we carry are available everywhere.

Both Albuquerque and Santa Fe are rife with retail competitors, many only a mile or two from our Co-op locations.

In annual member surveys, members overwhelmingly reported availability of local products as the primary reason they shop the Co-op. A traditional SWOT analysis by the Co-op’s leadership team clearly pointed to local foods as an area in which we excelled and could expand.

Local food for local peopleLa Montañita’s commitment to local food began nearly 25 years ago when produce managers, first Dianne Erickson and then Michelle Franklin, wanted more and fresher produce than was available on the weekly Tucson Co-op Warehouse truck. At the time, there was only one farmers’ market in the area (Saturdays in the parking lot of the country western bar on Route 66). Co-op staff members took turns going there and encouraging growers to bring enough produce to deliver before market or to make an extra trip in mid-week with a load for the Co-op.

Over the years the Co-op continually expanded local product offerings. La Montañita, the only retail store in town that at the timewould buy from local producers, developed a somewhat legendary reputation as the local farmer’s friend.

We eventually realized that in order to maintain and if possible expand local product sales, the Co-op would need a multi-pronged approach that included:

•educating consumers on the benefits of “buyinglocal”;•providing support and service for family farmersand value-added producers to keep them from going under; and •helping influence policy supportive of localagriculture.

Reflecting this recognition, by 2004 the Co-op was well into a consumer education program that included “LocalProduct” logo shelf tags,other in-storesignagethat“putafacewiththefood,”articlesin La Montañita’s monthly Co-op Connection News highlighting producers and the benefits of buying local, and ads in community-wide publications. All of these activities helped build the Co-op’s “FreshFairLocal”brand. Between 2004 and 2005, La Montañita saw sales of local products increase from 16% to 18% of store totals, topping out at 20% by 2008.

During the 2005-2006 fiscal year, La Montañita’s leadership team, led by then general manager C.E. Pugh, worked to expand our relationships with local vendors; providing more support while gaining a better understanding of the litany of challenges farmers and producers face. In addition to weather woes, these include transportation, liability insurance, start-up or expansion capital, marketing expertise, and development of and access to markets.

During 2007, its first full year of operation, the CDC obtained liability insurance for products that passed through the warehouse, more fully developed its distribution routes, and obtained vendor status with Whole Foods, Sysco, Raley’s (now Albertsons), and a wide variety of small and medium-sized grocery stores. These routes included weekly deliveries to New Mexico’s other Co-ops: Mountain View in Las Cruces, the Dixon Co-op and Silver City Co-op. The CDC also brought local products into cafes, colleges, universities and small businesses throughout the state. In 2007, the CDC purchased $755,441 in local products, just over 27% of the Co-op’s total $2.75 million in local foods purchases during the year.

During the 2008 produce season, due to the limitations of the CDC facility and as agreed at the team meetings, leafy greens and other items with high moisture or cooling needs will go directly from farmer to Co-op storefronts, while the CDC facility will focus on large harvest crops such as peaches, apples, other fruit, chile products, potatoes, squash, goat cheese and other value-added products.

Crafting creative solutionsLa Montañita’s CDC continues to look for ways to expand wholesale markets for area producers and to help local producers deal with seasonal “gluts.”With four major goat dairies in the region, May and June generally generate more fresh goat chevre than can be sold through regular retail channels. In a special arrangement developed by CDC staff and the Flying Star Café, foodshed partner Old Windmill Goat Farm’s Chevre is featured in recipes at the locally owned restaurant chain. Bulk tubs of the fresh cheese are picked up on regular distribution routes and delivered to nine Flying Star Cafes throughout the region. This deal added substantially to Old Windmill Farm’s income, positively helped utilize seasonal abundance, and added to CDC sales outside the Co-op network.

Robin Seydel,La Montañita Cooperative Outreach & Membership Director

co-op trade

La Montañita’s Co-op Trade: Building A Regional Foodshed

By Robin Seydel

The Co-op is more than just a grocery store. It’s a community of shared values. Healthy eating, stewardship of the environment, fairness at all levels of participation, and working together in ways that benefit everyone, are the principles on which the Co-op is built.

La Montañita’s Co-op Trade Initiative brings these values to a wider marketplace and expands our leadership role in New Mexico’s thriving local food economy. By forging and growing strong connections among people dedicated to a vital, sustainable local foodshed, Co-op Trade creates new wholesale markets for local products, and brings fresh, fair, local foods to a broader community.

How does it work?Through the Co-op Distribution Center, Co-op Trade purchases from local farmers, ranchers and other producers, and distributes their products to La Montañita Co-op stores, and to other retailers, including Whole Foods in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, Cid’s in Taos, Keller’s in Albuquerque, the Silver City Food Co-op and Mountain View Market in Las Cruces. As outreach and marketing expand, more and more farmers and retailers are becoming part of the Initiative.

Who benefits?Everyone. Consumers enjoy both an increased flow of healthy, local foods to their table and a greater return on their investment in fresh, fair, local products. Stores have access to more and better local foods, and can have them delivered to their door. Small and mid-size farmers reach markets not otherwise available to them.

Co-op Trade also helps New Mexico’s economy by negotiating fair prices and keeping local dollars local, and promotes healthy eating and sustainable agricultural practices, so the planet benefits, too.

Why the Co-op?Food Co-ops worldwide are in the vanguard of the local foodshed movement. It’s a way to spread our core values to more farms, stores and tables. Local foods initiatives like Co-op Trade have implications that reach around the globe.

sustainable food systems

May 2009 3

EDITOR’S NOTE A Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

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

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

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

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

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

Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP)• General Manager/Terry Bowling 217-2020terryb@lamontanita.coop• Controller/John Heckes 217-2026johnh@lamontanita.coop• Computers/Info Technology/David Varela 217-2011 tech@lamontanita.coop• Food Service/Bob Tero 217-2028bobt@lamontanita.coop• Human Resources/Sharret Rose 217-2023hr@lamontanita.coop• Marketing/Edite Cates 217-2024editec@lamontanita.coop• Membership/Robin Seydel 217-2027robins@lamontanita.coop• CDC/MichelleFranklin 217-2010mf@lamontanita.coop

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

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

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

Co-op Connection Staff:Managing Editor: Robin Seydelrobins@lamontanita.coopLayout and Design: foxyrock incCover/Centerfold: Co-op Marketing Dept.Advertising: Robin Seydel Editorial Assistant: Kristin Whitekristinw@lamontanita.coop 217-2016Printing: Vanguard Press

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

Membership response to the newsletter is appreciated. Address typed, double-spaced copy to the Managing Editor, robins@lamontanita.coopwebsite: www.lamontanita.coop

Copyright © 2009La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.

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

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

This special issue of the Co-op Connection News is dedicated to the Co-op Trade Initiative/Food-Shed Project with an extendedcolor section that highlights some of our growers, our thinking on the subject and the importance of value chain economics aspart of the renaissance of regional/local food systems. Next month we will return to our regular format.

BY THE AGRICULTURE COLLABORATIVE

W hat is the difference between a carrotgrown in Northern New Mexico andone grown outside the state? Many

Co-op members are aware that the local carrotnot only tastes better, but that it has a positiveimpact on our community. The local carrot hastraveled fewer “food miles”, having less of animpact on the environment, and when pur-chased the carrot supports our local economy,our local growers, and keeps our agriculturallands in production. Who would have thoughta carrot could do so much!

Come celebrate local carrots, and all that’s relat-ed to local food and agriculture, at the 2009 Local FoodFestival and Field Day. Mark your calendars for May16th and get ready to taste and enjoy all that our “food-shed” has to offer. This year’s festival coincides with thecelebration of San Ysidro, the Patron Saint ofAgriculture. Join a spiritual blessing of land, seeds andtools at the Sanchez Farm at 9am and follow the pro-cession to the Hubbell House (6029 Isleta Blvd SW) fora short blessing followed by the Local Food Festival cel-ebration.

The 2009 Local Food Festival and FieldDay has something for everyone: • Tasting: Taste local foods prepared by local chefs.Sample and purchase local honey, jam, pasta and

fresh, locally grown spring produce. Enjoy lunch in celebrationof the San Ysidro Feast Day. • Learning: Attend a mini-workshop on a variety of gardeningtopics. Watch a flood irrigation demonstration. Take a tour of thehistoric Gutierrez-Hubbell House and Demonstration Farm. • Growing: Check out the demonstration garden and orchard,

and purchase some seedlings to takehome and plant. Grow your knowledgeof local foods with resources and organ-izations that are involved in promotinglocal agriculture. • Enjoying: Relax in the shade whilelistening to the live bluegrass music byYoung Edward. Check out all the excite-ment in the kid's activity area, such asface painting and sack races! • Sustaining: Purchase goods fromlocal growers and help keep our agricul-

tural lands in production while reducing your carbon footprint.Watch for the UNM Sustainability Program's solar kiosk whichwill be powering the band. • Cooking: Watch and learn from local chefs, or attend a cook-ing demonstration. • Meeting: Meet local growers and producers and other mem-bers of our community, including baby goats and chickens.

The Hubbell House is located at 6029 Isleta SW (Isleta Blvd. 3miles south of Rio Bravo). Join us in celebrating our connection tolocal food and agriculture. The festival is free and open to the pub-lic. For more information call the Agriculture Collaborativeat (505) 724-3619 or visit our website at www.localfoodnm.org.

CELEBRATE LOCAL FOOD FROM THEGROUND UP!

VIA ORGANICASustainable Food Systems

Join a Summer Delegation to Visit Via Organica’sBeautiful Organic Farm and Sustainable LivingConference Center in Mexico.

The Organic Consumers Associationinvites you to join other organic foodand farming activists and visitMexico this summer, at the beautifulorganic farm and conference centerheadquarters of OCA’s sister organi-zation, Via Organica.

• Meet with Organic ConsumersAssociation/Via Organica Staff and Mexican OrganicFood and Farming Activists• Attend Workshops on Organic Farming and GreenBuilding • Visit Organic Farms, Stores, Restaurants, GreenBuildings and Community Organizing Projects• Dine on Fresh Organic Food, Sleep in BeautifulRooms, Swim in Via Organica’s Thermal Pool• Bike, Hike or Ride Horses on Nearby Trails

• Visit Beautiful World Heritage Sites in nearby SanMiguel de Allende and Atotonilco• Strengthen Solidarity between the U.S. and Mexican

Organic and Regional Food SystemMovements

Seven-day tours starting June 7 are nowopen for applications, on a first-come-firstserved basis, with tours beginning on thefirst and third Sundays of each month.Total weekly cost for food, lodging, toursand ground transportation is $950 (US).You pay for your own roundtrip airfare to

the Leon/Guanajuato airport, where our driver picksyou up and brings you to the Via Organica Farm andConference Center. For more information or to regis-ter for a tour contact rose@organicconsumers.org orgo to www.organicconsumers.org.Next Month: watch the Co-op Connection News for a full story on this exciting new Mexican Food-Shed Project.

TOURS OF MEXICO:

save the

WILDEARTH GUARDIANS IS ONE OF FIVE! Over thelast three months, hundreds of environmental nonprof-its were invited to submit proposals for considerationfor the Greater Outdoors Project $50,000 grant fromRedwood Creek wines and Planet Green. A panel ofexpert judges narrowed down the submissions to fiveworthy projects, and WildEarth Guardians is one ofthem!

Santa FeRiver!

Coinciding with Santa Fe's 400th anniversary, WildEarthGuardians' Santa Fe River "Stream Team" project will use thegrant money to restore a three-mile historic stretch ofAmerica's most Endangered River and build a trail reconnectingthe community with its namesake river.

To win the $50,000 for the Santa Fe River, we must gatherthe most votes through a public voting contest onRedwoodCreek.com ending May 31st. Make sure you log onto RedwoodCreek.com and vote for WildEarth Guardians'Stream Team project. You may also text message "earth" to39668. You can vote both ways daily. Restore our mostendangered river — vote for WildEarth Guardians!

WILDEARTH GUARDIANS

MAY16thbe there:

BY KENT SWANSON, CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE OPEN SPACE DIVISION

There are over 50 miles of shoreline in theRio Grande Valley State Park. Each MayAlbuquerque Open Space Division, American

Rivers and several local organizations host NationalRiver Cleanup Day. This one-day event brings theAlbuquerque community together to restore the Rio’sbeauty and health. Volunteers will help remove trashfrom the Rio Grande and its Bosque at the CentralAvenue Bridge and at various places along the river.

HOW YOU CAN HELP This year the River Cleanup is taking place on May 16th. Call REIat 247-1191 to register or stop by 1550 Mercantile Ave. The eventstarts at 8am and lasts until 1pm. Bring work gloves, water, appro-priate clothes and sun protection. We reward our volunteers withmorning refreshments, an after-event BBQ and a donated prizedrawing!

There are several different ways to participate: 1. Cleanup at the Central Avenue Bridge: There will be cleanupactivities for all ages on the northeast side of the Central AvenueBridge, including trash pickup and graffiti removal. Parking is avail-able at the BioPark near Tingley Drive and Central.

sustainable events May 2009 4

2. Float the river in one of our rafts: KirtlandOutdoor Recreation will provide guided rafts tohelp remove trash from the river, starting fromMontaño Blvd. and arriving at Central in time for

the BBQ. Rafts are on a first-comefirst-served basis and space is lim-ited. Sign up for the rafts will takeplace on the northeast side of theCentral Avenue Bridge the morn-ing of the event.

3. Bring your own boat: Peoplewith their own rafts, kayaks andcanoes are encouraged to attend.If you plan on bringing your own

NATIONAL RIVERCCCCLLLLEEEEAAAANNNNUUUUPPPP

RESTORE OUR RIO!

CO-OP MONTHLY MEETINGREPORT

“Ibelieve that one of the mainfactors contributing to thesense of panic that often sets in

immediately after an awareness of peakoil is the realization that we no longerhave many of the basic skills our grand-parents took for granted. One of themost useful things a Transition Initiativecan do is to offer widely available train-ing in a range of these skills.”-Rob Hopkins, authorThe Transition Handbook

Last month’s meeting focused on re-skilling our com-munities and ourselves. During the meeting we posedtwo questions:1. What skills will you and your community need inthe aftermath of peak oil and climate change?2. What resources are available today to learn theseskills?

To begin the re-skilling process our upcoming meet-ings will provide mini-re-skilling sessions free to all

who attend.

The Next Co-op Transition InitiativeMeeting: Wednesday May 6th at6pm at the Santa Fe Co-op.

In addition to our usual snack andschmooze and project sharing agenda,Tristian will do a bread-baking work-shop, we will set a skilling- sharingworkshop schedule for upcoming

meetings and have traditional dance and fiddle play-ing time.

We encourage all our regular Transition Initiativemembers to bring a friend and welcome othernew folks as well.

raft, pre-register or call 452-5216. We will provideshuttles for boaters from Central Ave. back to thelaunch point at Montaño Blvd. Volunteers who bringtheir own boats must follow all State regulations forboaters. Call State Parks at (505) 476-3355 for moreinformation.

4. Organize your own cleanup: Have a favorite areaof the Bosque? Consider hosting a River Cleanup ofyour own! The Open Space Division will supplytrash bags and disposal. Call 452-5216 for moreinformation.

For more information please contact Jim Sattleror Kent Swanson at 452-5200 or email kswanson@cabq.gov.

TRANSITION TOWN SANTA FEThe “GREAT RE-SKILLING”

NEXT MEETING: MAY 6, 6PM, SANTA FE CO-OP

Sierra Club Meeting, Tuesday, May19, 6:30-7:45pm, all welcome. REIMeeting Room in Santa Fe Railyard. Localsolar photovoltaics supplier, POSITIVEENERGY, will provide an update on technology, tax credits, renewable energycredits and overall solar PV benefits.BONUS: free raffle for one residenceaudit ($250 value). For more information contact Jean Watts at 505-989-5010.

SOLAR PV: ttrraannssiittiioonn sskkiillll

sssshhhhaaaarrrreeee

Spring is upon us, let

AGUA DULCEEARTHSCAPES

enhance your environment

NATIVE LANDSCAPE DESIGN

RAINWATER CATCHMENT AND IRRIGATION

STONE WALLS, PATIOS AND WATER FEATURES

FREE GARDEN CONSULTATION FOR ALL CO-OP MEMBERS. FIND OUT THE RIGHT PLANTS

AND TECHNIQUES TO HELP YOUR GARDEN FLOURISH.

24 years experience helping Albuquerque’s

trees and plants

Luke Resnick 764-0096

May16th

healthy food May 2009 5

BY ELISSAR KHALEK, FOOD AND WATER WATCH

The dilemma of how to regulate foodsafety in a way that prevents problemscaused by industrialized agriculture but

doesn’t wipe out small diversified farms is not newand is not easily solved. Most consumers neverthought they had to worry about peanut butter, andthis latest food safety scandal has captured publicattention for good reason – a CEO who knowinglyshipped contaminated food, a plant with holes in theroof and serious pest problems, and years of stateand federal regulators failing to intervene.

It’s no surprise that Congress is under pressure toact. Two recent bills are about traceability for food(S.425 and H.R. 814). These present real issues forsmall producers who could be forced to bear thecost of expensive tracking technology and record-keeping. The other bills address what the FDA cando to regulate food. A lot of attention has beenfocused on a bill introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro(H.R. 875), the Food Safety Modernization Act.And a lot of what is being said about the bill is mis-leading.

A few things that H.R. 875 DOES do:• It addresses the most critical flaw in the structure ofFDA by splitting it into 2 new agencies –one devoted

to food safety and the other devotedto drugs and medical devices.• It increases inspection of foodprocessing plants, basing the fre-quency of inspection on the risk ofthe product being produced – but itdoes NOT make plants pay anyregistration fees or user fees.• It extends food safety agencyauthority to food production onfarms, requiring farms to write afood safety plan and consider thecritical points on that farm wherefood safety problems are likely to occur.• It requires imported food to meet the same stan-dards as food produced in the U.S.

A few things that H.R. 875 does NOT do:• It does not cover foods regulated by the USDA(beef, pork, poultry, lamb, catfish.)• It does not establish a mandatory animal identifi-cation system.• It does not regulate backyard gardens.• It does not regulate seed.• It does not call for new regulations for farmers’markets or direct marketing arrangements. • It does not apply to food that does not enter inter-state commerce (food that is sold across state lines).

PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS!• It does not mandate any specific type of traceability for FDA-regu-lated foods. The bill does instruct a new food safety agency toimprove traceability of foods, but specifically says that recordkeepingcan be done electronically or on paper.

H.R. 814 and H.R. 759: Bills to watchSeveral of the things not found in the DeLauro billcan be found in other bills: H.R. 814, the Tracingand Recalling Agricultural Contamination Every-where Act, which calls for a mandatory animal iden-tification system; or H.R. 759, the Food and DrugAdministration Globalization Act, which overhaulsthe entire structure of FDA. H.R. 759 is more likelyto move through Congress than H.R. 875. H.R. 759contains several provisions that could cause prob-lems for small farms and food processors:

• It extends traceability recordkeeping requirementsthat currently apply only to food processors to farms and restaurants– and requires that recordkeeping be done electronically.• It calls for standard lot numbers to be used in food production.• It requires food processing plants to pay a registration fee to FDAto fund the agency’s inspection efforts.• It instructs FDA to establish production standards for fruits andvegetables and to establish Good Agricultural Practices for produce.

There is plenty of evidence that one-size-fits-all regulation only tendsto work for one size of agriculture – the largest industrialized opera-tions. That’s why it is important to let members of Congress knowhow food safety proposals will impact the sustainable practices thatmake diversified, organic and direct market producers different fromagribusiness. If Congress passes any of these bills, the FDA will haveto develop rules and regulations to implement the law, a process thatwe can’t afford to ignore.

GOOD HEALTHBY KRISTIN WHITE

Recently, a friend and neighbor invited meover to pick some lettuce from the fami-lies’ garden. She helped me pick butterhead

lettuce, black seeded simpson, spinach, parsley, basil,dill and a few other mixed loose leaf garden greens. Iwent straight home, rinsed the greens and mademyself a giant bowl of salad, toppedwith my favorite creamy garlicsalad dressing that I’d made thenight before. Eating that salad wasan immensely pleasurable experi-ence; it was the best I’d ever had.

According to Acetaria: A Discourseof Sallets (acetaria refers to the vine-gar used with salads or herbs tostimulate the appetite) by JohnEvelyn, the first English language book on how tomake a salad, only the freshest leaves, stalks, roots,buds and flowers straight from the garden should beused for a salad. Once the leaves are collected, instructsEvelyn, “discreetly” sprinkle them with spring water,leave in the colander to drain, and then “swing themaltogether gently in a clean course napkin.” It isadvised to dress the salad with the cleanest olive oiland wine vinegar of the best quality, infused with flow-ers and herbs, and with the finest crystals of sea salt.

The author also gave detailed instructions for culti-vating thirty-five different greens: among them, fourvarieties of romaine lettuce, spinach, nasturtiums fortheir leaves and flowers, a variety of herbs to be usedwith discretion, cresses, sorrel, spinach, endive,chicory, celery, fennel, radish and favorites of today,mache and arugula.

Salads, Evelyn explained, are cool and refreshing,“…and therefore in such high esteem with theAncients.” He stated that of all other foods nature

has to offer, salads are more cold and moist, and lessastringent, than the rest, and so “may safely be eatenraw in fevers.” According to the author, salad alleviatesheat, extinguishes thirst, stimulates appetite, “kindly”nourishes, “represses vapors,” eases pain and helpssleep; “besides the effect it has upon the morals, tem-

perance and chastity.” Evelyn’s discourserings true as much today as it did in 1699.

Salad Days Keep the Heart Young"Salad days" is an informal expression,referring to a youthful time, accompanied bythe inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, inno-cence or indiscretion that is associated witha young person. Lettuce can be classifiedinto various categories with the most com-mon being: Romaine, Crisphead, Butterhead

and Leaf. Romaine’s high vitamin C and beta-carotenecontent make it a heart-healthy green. Vitamin C andbeta-carotene work together to prevent the oxidationof cholesterol. Oxidation is what forms the build up ofplaque in artery walls. Lettuce is high in fiber, and fiberis good for the heart. Fiber binds to bile salts in thecolon and removes them from the body. This promptsthe body to make more bile. In order to make morebile it must break down cholesterol. In this way fiber isable to lower cholesterol levels.

Romaine lettuce is particularly rich in folic acid. Folicacid and folate are forms of the water-solubleVitamin B9. This B vitamin is needed by the body toconvert a harmful chemical called homocysteine intoother, benign substances. Without this conversion,homocysteine can directly damage blood vessels and,thus, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Thebeauty of salad lies in its potential for versatility.Salads may continue to evolve, as much as our imag-inations, but the truth remains the same; Pure andsimple is as good as it gets.

GREAT FOOD,

Food Safetyand the HR 875 Hullabaloo

This month’s light and healthy recipe comes fromCo-op member Scott Shuker in Santa Fe. We thinkit would be great for a picnic along with our featuredrecipes of the month (see page 11). Thank you, Scott!

Next month’s issue will feature barbecque dishes andother summer recipes. Submit your favorite summerrecipes to Kristin White by May 10. The memberwhose recipe is chosen will receive a one-time 18%Co-op discount shopping card.

Oriental Sesame Noodles6 oz soba noodles2 oz shitake mushrooms

1 small leek or 3 scallions1 oz seaweed, any kind6 T sesame oil1 qt pure water

Add 3 tablespoons of sesame oil to a deep saucepanand heat on medium. After 5 minutes, add slicedmushrooms and scallions; sauté for approximately 5minutes. Add water and turn heat up to high. Whenboiling, add soba noodles and seaweed then reduceheat to medium again. Simmer for 5-6 minutes.Drain. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of sesame oiland stir with tongs. Serves 1 hearty or 2 light eaters.

COOKING FROM SCRATCH

The Beauty of a Spring Salad

Bringing together local farmers and Co-op shoppers for the best infresh, fair andlocal food!

CO-OPTradeINITIATIVE

BUYLLOOCCAALLSHOP CO-OP !

Jilli PepperAlbuquerque, NM Green Chile Salsa, 16 oz. Select Varieties. Reg.$4.39, Sale $3.99

B’s HoneyAlbuquerque, NM B’s NM Honey Bear, 24 oz. Reg. $7.99, Sale $6.99

Black’sAlbuquerque, NM Thick BBQ Infusion, 16 oz. Reg. $5.99, Sale $4.99

Even more LOCAL PRODUCTSon sale in our stores!

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 4/29-6/2, 2009:Not all items available at all stores.

co-op news May 2009 6

LOCAL SALE ITEMSSHOP LOCAL & SAVE

BY ROBIN SEYDEL

W hen Erin Hagenow was home caringfor her son, Orion, now eight yearsold, she began making cleaning prod-

ucts from simple household ingredi-ents. With a young child at homeshe knew she didn’t want himexposed to any harsh or harmfulchemicals often found in commer-cial cleaning products. When afriend introduced her to a drawer-ful of delicious smelling essentialoils, she began experimenting withsimple ingredients she had in herkitchen. Through the years, Erin perfected some ofher recipes and even gave the products as house-warming gifts, to great reviews.

“These household cleansers were so easy to make, socost effective and really enjoyable to use; so evenwhen I went back to work, as my son got older, Ikept making them.” Now Erin manufactures theseeco-friendly, handmade Sweet Bee HomecareCleaning Supplies in her North Valley studio.

Erin says, "I'm sharing these products and myrecipes, to empower my customers to use and makeinexpensive, effective and non-toxic cleaning sup-

plies." Made from the most basic of ingredi-ents including, salt, vinegar, vodka, olive oiland veggie-based cleaning agents, Erin putsthe recipe on the each label because as shesays, “this product, like every other spray-based product, is 90% water. With the envi-ronment and the economy on everyone’smind I want to encourage people to stoppurchasing bottles of water, when you canmake your cleaning materials yourself. If

not tomorrow or next week, some day.”

Until you, like Erin, begin making your own: tryher All Purpose Cleanser and her Mirror and Glasscleaner in either Lavender Lift or Citrus Buzz scentsand her Wood and Leather Cleanser in Lemon Lift.Look for Erin’s Sweet Bee Homecare CleaningSupplies at all Co-op locations.

MAY SPECIALSWANT TO SEE YOUR LOCAL PRODUCT ADVERTISED HERE?

Contact Eli at elib@lamontanita.coop

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

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

democratically-controlled enterprise.

Calendarof Events

5/6 Transition Town Team Meeting Santa Fe Co-op, 6pm

5/19 Board of Directors Meeting Immanuel Church, 5:30pm

TBA Board Member Engagement Committee CDC, 5:30pm

TBA Finance Committee Meeting CDC, 5pm

SWEETSWEET BEEBEE CLEANING PRODUCTSHealthy, Local and Homemade!

than You Think!VEGAN FOOD CHOICES: CHOICES: Easier

BY TWO MOONS N.D.Great Food, GOOD HEALTH

It’s quite an outdated idea to think that avegan diet consists mainly of salads, veg-gies and fruits. Actually it is far easier and

enjoyable, at this time in human existence, toeither eat or cook for a vegan diet. Almost anyfood or meal that was eaten before switching to avegan diet can be replaced with a meat-and dairy-free version. Soy, rice and nutmilks can replace cow’s milk, and can beconveniently purchased in both a refriger-ator version and aseptic containers, whichare refrigerated only after opening. Thequality and taste of these products super-sedes the earlier varieties of the past. Soycreamers, cream cheese and sour cream,non-hydrogenated margarines, and a vari-ety of rice- or soy-based cheese substitutesare also available at your Co-op, with soy nog andsoy whip being excellent newcomers to the veganmarket. Also available are meatless sandwichslices, tofu dogs, burgers, ground meatlesssausages and numerous other alternative varieties.

It’s helpful to keep in mind, especially for thosenot necessarily interested in duplicating the tex-ture or taste of any meat product, that many foodproducts, nationally and internationally, have longbeen prepared with grains, soy, rice and a widevariety of herbs and spices and formed into pattiesand textures similar to meat products. Most meat-based items only taste as they do because of thespices added and the texture is often obtained byadding grain products or other bulking agents.

A truly healthy diet should consist of a variety offruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables and leafy greens,beans, whole grains, sprouts, seaweed, tofu and

soybean products. By eliminating white flour prod-ucts and substituting whole grains such as crackedwheat, millet, quinoa, brown rice and flours con-taining the beneficial and vitamin-rich bran andgerm, nutritious meals can be prepared.

Eating out has also become much more enjoyable,with many restaurants now offering vegetarianselections on their menu, especially those of Thai,

Vietnamese, Chinese, MiddleEastern and Indian origins.Most Mexican restaurants nolonger use lard in their cookingprocess and can eliminate meatand dairy products from manydishes. In larger cities across theworld, vegan, raw foods, andorganic establishments, includ-ing B&B’s, can often be found.It’s no longer necessary to jeop-

ardize your vegan principles when traveling locallyor abroad.

Not many years ago it was extremely difficult toreproduce old family recipes by substituting non-meat or non-dairy items. This inspired many devoutvegetarians to make their own tofu, soy cheese andmilk, and a wide variety of items now easily avail-able at natural food co-ops and stores. With expand-ed interest worldwide, vegan foods of all kinds arebeing manufactured on a grand scale, making foreasy meal preparation, making the art of convertingold family recipes to healthier, vegan versions easierthan ever, and contributing to a diversified, interest-ing and balanced diet.

Next in this series: How To Be A Healthy Vegan.From the author of Peace In Every Bite, A VeganCookbook with recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle.These books are for sale at your local Co-op.

Beginning the first Saturday of May enjoy a delicious healthyfoods BBQ at your North Valley Co-op. Each Saturday from 11am to2pm the Co-op will host a delicious BBQ featuring grass fed, local beefburgers and sezchuzan tofu burgers with all the fixings. And for the kidsthere will be hot dogs and a variety of savory sides to choose from.

All reasonably priced for a delicious lunch during your busy Saturdayerrands. Or come and relax for a while with friends and neighbors underthe portico at the North Valley Saturday BBQ. Held every Saturday allsummer long — weather permitting, from 11am- 2pm. For moreinformation call your Valley Deli at 242-8800.

Weekly Co-opBBQ!Saturdays at your North Valley Co-op

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

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A TradePartner

Since opening Growing Opportunities in Alcalde, New Mexico, nine years ago, Steve and Kim Martin have become known as local leaders in hydroponics. They are innovators, too, constantly tinkering with new methods of growing, and their commitment has paid off. All four La Montañita Co-op stores carry their superb, water-saving, chemical-free and pesticide-free greenhouse tomatoes, as does Whole Foods in Santa Fe, and they are very much in demand among top Santa Fe restauranteurs. Steve and Kim now offer fresh tomatoes year round—a first in New Mexico.

In 2007, the Martins began thinking about expanding the business. But they wanted to find a model that would remain sustainable for them personally. Distribution and delivery, which they handled themselves, remained an obstacle, costing them a great deal in both time and money. They thought resolving that problem might be a good first step. It’s exactly the kind of problem La Montañita’s Co-op Trade Initiative was created to address, and at the beginning of 2008 Growing Opportunities and the Co-op began working together to get Steve and Kim’s tomatoes onto shelves and plates more efficiently.

It has become a Co-op Trade success story. The additional time and energy available to Steve and Kim have led them, among other things, to experiment with heirloom tomatoes along with their popular beefsteaks, making them a staple of the past winter’s production. With the Co-op’s help, the Martins can now devote more time and resources to expanding and improving winter production, an especially promising undertaking. And they can afford to keep tinkering, since 2008 was Growing Opportunities’ most profitable year yet.

For the most part, the history of Cottonwood Lane Orchard is a horror story of frustration and loss with a few successes thrown into the mix. Like hanging a carrot just in front of a donkey’s nose, the meager wins keep us plodding forward with hope and determination. We bought our orchard in 1987. It consisted of about 3 acres of 40-year-old red Delicious apple trees. We didn’t have a tractor or equipment of any kind to maintain it, so we went right into the out-go side of the ledger by investing in an old tractor and used orchard equipment. “Oh well,” we said, “we’ll make it back when the crop comes in.” The first thing we learned was that when you have a full crop of red Delicious apples, so does everyone else in the upper Rio Grande Valley. You couldn’t give them away. We tried everything that first crop season, from farmers’ markets to “no thank you” from retail grocery stores, and ended up dumping most of our crop. Since we live right by the Rio Grande riverbank, at least the beavers enjoyed them. The next three or four years found us trying to find innovative ways to sell our crop.

Hang in there, don’t go away, this is all leading somewhere!We tried working with other growers to get funding for the construction of an apple processing and grading shed, still thinking that we could all pull together as fellow growers. These efforts proved fruitless.

Our next effort was working with some of the more dedicated of our fellow growers, some good people from various County Agricultural Extension Offices and a marketing specialist from the Department of Agriculture. We went back to the Legislature to present a unified case for help with the establishment of a State Apple Council. The New Mexico State Apple Council was established as a result of those efforts and that organization has been, and continues to be, a positive marketing and promotional tool for all growers within the state. However, in its early formation stages it did not provide much relief from our particular marketing problems.

“Okay, this isn’t working! We still haven’t made any money! What to do? Time to punt? No, let’s go for it on 4th down.” Up to this point, we had worked within the conventional nonorganic growing community to no avail.

Going Organic.Our next step was to obtain registered organic gardener status with the NM Organic Commodities Commission, as our land hadn’t been used for anything but cover crops for 5 years. Our next marketing experiences improved considerably. Though the first offerings from our new orchard were small, we found a ready market for them at various retail stores in Santa Fe and Taos. They were also widely accepted at farmers’ markets. These markets, of course, required delivery of small quantities of fruit, which required time away from the farm and added delivery expense. A few things were apparent. On the plus side: Our organic fruits and berries had a definite market, the value of the organic fruits we produced was greater than conventionally produced fruits and the competition for available markets was as yet not as fierce as that on the conventional side. But even

so there were some marketing experiences early in the game with retailers that were on the negative side and rough on us as a small local producer: Including price lowering when large suppliers were flooding the market with similar fruit. This is normal business practice, but a producer who is farming 300 acres can stand it better than one who is farming 3 acres. It is business as usual without much concern for the smaller local growers. It was apparent that as the orchard came into full production, we would be in trouble trying to manage some of these problems. We had traveled a long hard road and fought the good fight, but we had created a small monster. Still we felt that we were on the verge of winning.

Co-op Trade/Foodshed BeginningsThe following spring we became certified organic. While attending an Organic Conference in the spring of 2007, we met Steve Warshawer, who represented La Montañita Co-op, and we had the good fortune to do business with Steve and La Montañita for the 2007 crop year. The experiences we had with the Co-op foodshed project were all positive and were as follows: La Montañita bought most of our fruit crop. They picked it up at our farm, sending a truck in twice a week. In addition to paying us fair market prices, they saved us money by supplying us with recycled boxes for our peaches. As a result of one of the few severe hailstorms we had seen in our time here, much of our fruit was cosmetically damaged. In our past experience the damaged fruit would have been a total loss, but La Montañita made a fair price adjustment and bought the majority of it.

We formed these conclusions at the end of our season:• Makingthemovetoorganicfruitproductionwasthe proper move.• LaMontañitaCo-opissincerelyinterestedin,andactively involved with, the welfare of the local organic producer — large or small.• LaMontañita isdedicated to thepreservationofsustainable organic agriculture and is comprised of a hardworking group of people who are in it for the long haul.• Thisisanexampleofthekind of cooperative effort benefiting all concerned that we had envisioned.

We at Cottonwood Lane Orchards are proud to do business with and acknowledge the existence of such a cooperative.

Sincerely, Walt, Betty and Dan Lea

This article first appeared in the October 2008 Co-op Connection News.

Walt & Betty Lea

co-op trade

AgribusinessA fairly new term that combines agriculture and business. In the past, agriculture has been treated as something completely separate from other types of business. Over the past 50 years, factory farm companies have been replacing traditional agriculture, so now we need new words and new ways of thinking about agriculture to describe where our food comes from.

Dead ZoneAn area in the Gulf of Mexico where oxygen levels are so low that most marine organisms cannot sruvive. One of the primary causes is runoff from farms in the Mississippi watershed.

Family farm / Small farmDefined by the USDA as a farm with less than $250,000 gross receipts annually on which day-to-day labor and management is provided by the farmer and/or the farm family that owns the production or owns or leases the productive assets.

FoodshedThe concept of the foodshed is similar to that of a watershed; it is an area where food is grown and eaten. The size of the foodshed varies depending on the availability of year round foods and the variety of foods grown and processed. In a way, replacing the term ‘water’ with ‘food’ reconnects food with nature. “The term “foodshed” thus becomes a unifying and organizing metaphor for conceptual development that starts from a premise of the unity of place and people, of nature and society.”

SustainabilityThe ability to provide for the needs of the world’s current population without damaging the ability of future generations to provide for themselves. When a process is sustainable, it can be carried out over and over without negative environmental effects or impossibly high costs to anyone involved.

Sustainable agricultureFarming that provides a secure living for farm families; maintains the natural environment and resources; supports the rural community; and offers respect and fair treatment to all involved, from farm workers to consumers to the animals raised for food.

USDAUnited States Department of Agriculture. The USDA, which was founded by Abraham Lincoln, supports rural development, food safety, nutrition and research for agricultural technology. The agency is also in charge of national forest and rangelands and works to reduce hunger in the US and internationally.

WatershedArea of land that contributes runoff to a particular, common body of water. (To understand this concept better, you can find a map of the watershed you live in by going to the EPA web site.)

CO-OP TRADE a foodshed initiative exists to enhance opportunities for our foodshed growers and producers in the communities they serve at a cost sustainable for La Montañita Co-op.

Why: Because La Montañita Co-op places high value on improving the quality of life for our members, producers and community, as well as protecting our foodshed’s ecosystem.

How: • By creating an alternative toindustrialization of organic food production and supporting sustainable local economic development

• By supporting local initiatives withinthe region and linking with organizations engaged in similar activities, synchronizing and leveraging resources

• By actively supporting and promotingsustainable, chemical free, regenerative agricultural practices

• Byactiveinvolvementinthepublicpolicyarena

Resulting in:More sustainably produced food from our foodshed consumed in our communities

And:• Co-opvaluesandprinciplesavailabletoa wider community

• Expanded leadership role in the localfood economy

• Newvaluechainsdevelopedandexistingones strengthened

Co-op Trade’s Top Local Vendor List

River Canyon MeatsBeneficial Farms EggsSage BakehouseRasband DairyFano BreadsShepherds LambRancho Capilla ViejaSunland PeanutsChocolate MavenPollo RealMujeres En Accion TamalesVitality WorksB’s Honey FarmWhite Mountain FarmGrowing Opportunity TomatoesSouth Mountain DairyDel Valle PecansSandia SoapHeidi’s RaspberriesSanta Fe CandlesRancho Durazno OrchardsOld Windmill DairyLosChilerosNuevoMexicoSweetwoods DairySoilutions Compost

Plus, 320 more great local producers and businesses!

My job with Co-op Trade is to meet with farmers, ranchers, food producers and other service providers in our region, to help establish goals and objectives for specific on-farm enterprises, and to help them address particular issues. Sometimes the issue is as simple as finding a supply of boxes or other packaging, sometimes it’s more complicated. My goal is to “fit the farm to the market”: to match the scale of the farmer’s or rancher’s goals, capacities and aspirations with the scale and needs of a particular customer. Sometimes that means the CDC can be a big help; other times it means giving advice on how to engage nearby farmers’ markets, improve some other direct marketing program, or create more effective relationships with other customers. I help the food producer however I can, or direct them to others who can help them if I can’t. Through my work, the Co-op supports farms, ranches and food producers of all sizes, whether they are immediately able to benefit from Co-op Trade’s distribution system or not.

These are notes from some of my trips.

November 6-8, 2007

My route was from Santa Fe to Roswell to Lincoln to Ruidoso to Alamogordo to Carrizozo, and then over to I-25 and north to home.

Pecos Valley Meats, RoswellRick De Los Santos bought and began renovating his plant in 1990. He brings thirty years of experience to his work. He has developed markets for boned and ground dairy beef from coast to coast. Rick says he struggles to get access to enough animals. He is looking for niches where his size is an advantage rather than a liability, and can adapt to organic and humane handling requirements.

Laughing Sheep Farm, Lincoln Sally Canning runs a mixed-species farm with grass- and pasture-fed sheep, cows, pigs and chickens. She runs an on-farm restaurant and store with an EID-approved kitchen and produces two types of meat marinade developed as enhancements to her own grass-fed beef. She has a small refrigerated and freezer truck and can help consolidate product from neighboring locations. She also recently purchased an adjoining fifteen-acre raspberry farm and will be selling fresh berries and jam. The Santa Fe store is ready to display her marinades at the meat counter.

Cada de Dia Farmstead Cheese, LincolnPat and Cheryl Sullivan and family currently run nine Ayrshire cows on fourteen irrigated acres along the Rio Bonito. Their farm, a USDA-approved cheese plant, makes cheese nine months out of the year. The cheeses are all aged, which allows them to deliver a year-round product while drying off the herd during the winter months when there is no fresh grass.

(I had been unable to reach Pat by telephone for a couple of weeks. When I saw him at the farm he informed me that after five years he had decided to sell his land. He plans to liquidate the herd and move to South America to start over in Argentina.)

Ayrshire genetics and Jim Miller DairyThe genetics in Pat’s herd are very valuable. His cows come from Jim Miller, a dairy farmer in Ancho, NM, who closed his multi-generational farm two years ago after a vehicle accident. The only traceable livestock from his line are the cows at Cada de Dia and the cow and bull at Cresset Community Farm. It is clear that besides the grass-adapted milk cows, Jim’s genetics offer quality beef cows on the male side. The fact that a grass-adapted strain of Ayrshires can produce quality milk and meat makes them potentially an important link in the process of developing a high-standard, animal welfare product line.

San Patricio Berry Farm, San PatricioArturo Trujillo grows blackberries, raspberries and apples. The family farm is in its third generation. He runs a U-pick operation, but tells me this year he left most of his blackberries in the field due to lack of market and has started plowing under his raspberries. He has an EID-approved kitchen on site as well as a walk-in cooler and has been making jam for several years. Art feels he has mastered the growing but has been unsuccessful with marketing. He also grows Gala and Fuji apples and starts picking on August 15, several weeks ahead of any of our northern growers. He picked 200 bushels of apples this fall but lost them as well due to lack of market.

We discussed the possibility of flash freezing as an alternative for Art’s berries. It seems like a good idea to research the type of flash freezing used at Cascadian Farm.

Lavender Spring Ranch, ArabelaCliff and Beth Crouch grow lavender, raspberries and mixed vegetables for a U-pick operation. Their aim

co-op trade

Co-op Trade: Travel JournalBy Steve Warshawer

What, you may ask, is a value chain and why should you care? Well, value chain methodology provides some guidance on the “how” of building a local food system. Basically, a value chain is a string of businesses working together to satisfy market demands for specific products or services.

You may already be part of a value chain. Farm to Cafeteria programs, which are happening in each of the Four Corners states, are an excellent example of value chain development. In these programs you often see small and medium-sized farmers involved in formal or informal groups that combine their produce to meet the requirements of a particular school district. They may develop their own collaborative distribution system or they might work with a local distributor. In some cases the distributor may be the school district or the commodities truck. The food service buyers, as value chain participants eager to provide fresh, local food to their customers, develop strong relationships with the producers and develop agreements that work for both.

A value chain is customer-centric. This means that to be successful, the value chain must produce a final product that meets the needs of the consumer. These include price, quality, quantity and availability. Thus, developing a value chain starts with an understanding of these needs and works its way backwards, building a set of interactions among businesses that can meet them. For example, even though a cattle-calf operation might sell to a feedlot, its real customer is still the person who eats the hamburger, and the cattle-calf producer has as much stake in the quality, price and availability of that burger as the processor or retailer.

While the need to meet a customer’s price point may be familiar to producers, who have often been in the position of price-takers, the picture changes dramatically when the need to be customer-centric is combined with the second important element of value chains—mutually beneficial relationships. When getting the right product to the final consumer is the goal of each participant, each has a high stake in every other link in the chain. Each participant becomes a partner to every other, with a strategic interest in the performance and well-being of all. So business interactions and relationships must be based on mutual trust and benefit.

Contrast this with a traditional supply chain in which business relationships are often seen in win-lose terms, with each business trying to buy low and sell high. In a value chain, price is accorded based on a fair valuation of cost, which includes adequate profit margins and return on investment. In a supply chain, those who have control over some key element of the process determine prices, and therefore profits; businesses with less control may be forced to operate at a loss. The dominance of this methodology is evident in the long history of low prices paid to producers.

The value in value chains, then, is that through transparency, trust, and collaboration, everyone involved benefits, from feed to food.

By Ilana Blankman,Farm to Table

Continued on Page15

spring specials May 2009 11

Prepare a few sandwiches, some salad, snacksand dessert, pack a basket and a blanket, andyou’re ready for a picnic. Here are some recipesto help you get on your way.

(Key: C = cup, T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, lb= pound, oz = ounce, qt = quart)

Brussels Sprout Salad Since brussel sprouts are not in season, and maybe difficult to find, you may use cabbage orromaine lettuce instead. For some differentalternatives, throw in some aged cheddar,apples, pecans or apple cider vinaigrette.

1 1/2 lb brussel sprouts, freshest available3 T extra-virgin olive oil2-3 T fresh lemon juice1 t fresh thyme leaves1/3 C fresh chives, minced1 1/3 C hazelnuts, smashed just a bit andtoasted2 oz hard, salty, aged cheese, shaved (pecorino, dry aged jack, parmesan, etc.)2-3 big pinches of salt

Shred the brussels sprouts whisper thin using amandoline, or alternately, a knife (a mandolinegives the sprouts a wispiness that is harder toachieve with a knife). Five minutes before serv-ing, place the shredded sprouts in a large mixingbowl and toss gently with the olive oil, lemonjuice, thyme, chives, salt and hazelnuts. Tasteand adjust the seasoning, adding more lemonjuice if needed, keeping in mind the cheese willbring a salty element to the salad. Add thecheese and toss once or twice to distribute itevenly throughout the salad. Serves 4–6.

Vegetable Sandwich with Dill SauceIf raw onions have too much of a bite, tamethem by rinsing the slices under cold runningwater or soaking them in a bowl of cold waterfor a few minutes. Pat them dry before puttingthem on your sandwich.

1/2 C plain yogurt3 T chopped fresh dill1 1/2 t Dijon mustard1 T cooking oil1 t wine vinegar8 thick slices multigrain bread8 lettuce leaves1/2 lb sliced provolone2 tomatoes, sliced1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin1 small red onion, sliced very thin1 ripe avocado, sliced1 C alfalfa sprouts salt and freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, dill,mustard, oil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8teaspoon pepper. Spread a tablespoon of the dillsauce on one side of each of four slices of bread.Top each slice with lettuce, provolone, toma-

toes, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, the cucumber,onion, avocado and sprouts. Drizzle another table-spoon of dill sauce over each sandwich. Cover withthe remaining four slices of bread.

Vegetarian Reuben SandwichSeitan ("say-tan"), also called “wheat meat,” is ahigh protein, fat-free food with a meaty textureand flavor. Look for it in the dairy department atthe Co-op.

1 onion, thinly sliced2 garlic cloves, minced1 C sauerkraut1 t paprika1/2 t caraway seeds1/2 t thyme1/4 t black pepper 1 8-oz package seitan, drained and thinly sliced8 slices rye bread, toasted (if desired)1/2 C (or to taste) vegan mayonnaise3 T (or to taste) stoneground or dijon mustard2 tomatoes, sliced

Heat 1/2 cup of water in a large non-stick skilletand cook onion and garlic until soft, about 5 min-utes. Stir in sauerkraut, paprika, caraway seeds,thyme and black pepper. Cook over medium heat,stirring often for 5 minutes.

Add seitan slices. Cover and cook until heatedthrough, about 3 minutes. Toast bread if desired.To assemble sandwiches, spread bread with may-onnaise and mustard. Top four slices of bread withsauerkraut mixture, seitan slices, tomato slices andthe remaining bread. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Indian Pulled-Chicken Sandwiches

3/4 C plain whole-milk yogurt3/4 C mango chutney2 T fresh lime juice2 t mild curry powder1 small rotisserie chicken, meat shredded, skinand bones discarded (4 C)2 scallions, thinly sliced1/2 C cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped1 C baby arugula leaves4 brioche rolls or other rolls, splitkosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor, pulse the yogurt, chutney, limejuice and curry until blended but not completelysmooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl;add the shredded chicken, scallions and cilantroand toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Lay thearugula on the rolls, spoon the pulled chicken saladon top and serve. Serves 4.

These recipes have been adapted and reprinted from the following sources:www.101cookbooks.comwww.pcrm.orgwww.foodandwine.com

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environmental action May 2009 12

BY JANET GREENWALD

PHONE CALLS ARE NOW BEING RELAYED TOTHE BASE COMMANDER

In your April 2009 Co-op Connection, thegroup Protect Our Air and Water urged you tocall the Kirtland Base Commander and

express your concerns about the open burn-ing and detonation of toxic materials goingon at the Base.

Thanks to all of you who made thecall! The many folks who did got a varietyof responses: some people were told thatthere is no open burning at Kirtland, othersthat that activity was conducted off baseand still others that a state agency was responsiblefor the burning.

I spoke to Jill Speake of the public affairs office atthe Base on April 13 and expressed my frustrationthat the base was denying its activities to the public.Jill apologized for the misinformation; said that thereception people receiving the calls for theCommander had been “overwhelmed” by the num-ber of calls they were receiving and honestly did notknow Kirtland was conducting open burning.

Jill said that it is true that Kirtland holds permitsand is now requesting a new permit to continue to“open burn and detonate” thousands of pounds oftoxic materials per year, but that Kirtland does notalways burn or detonate that amount. She said that

Kirtland had conducted no open burning last year,but James Bearzi, Chief of the New MexicoEnvironment’s Hazardous Waste Bureau, said thelast time Kirtland open burned was May of 2008.

ACTION ALERT: Open Burning at KirtlandTAKE TWO Jill said that from now onwhen people want to relay amessage to the Base Com-mander on this open burningissue she will make sure thatthe Commander gets their mes-sages. Open burning of toxins

in the middle of a large urban area is a very bad idea,especially affecting fetal development and that ofyoung children. It is not the act of a good neighbor.Let’s let them know how many of us want this prac-tice stopped.

Please take the time to make a call (or another call)to Kirtland Air Force Base today: No more openburning and only emergency detonation! Call JillSpeake, 505-846-5991. Also, let your FederalRepresentatives know how you feel: Senator JeffBingaman, 1-800-443-8658, Senator Tom Udall,Alb. 346-6791, Rep. Martin Heinrich 346-6781.

For more information, contact CARD, Citizensfor Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping, 242-5511, 266-2663, contactus@cardnm.org.

Excerpted from "ReStore, Habitat for Humanity" appearing inthe anthology Going Green, edited by Laura Pritchett.

BY RUTH FRIESEN

“What’s this?” I pulled a piece of metal from the pile.It was rusty but the shape intrigued me. Was it a birdcage? A store display? A giant egg beater? No matter

what it was, I knew I could use it to make something interesting.

I was standing in the backyard of a city-condemned house, and herewas the lifetime of work by the retired welder who once had livedhere. He missed his vocation so much that he spent his spare timewelding literally tons of metal into fences, gazebos, and whatever elsehe could imagine. Once these items had been car wheels, windowframes, I-beams holding up buildings – and now, they were part of awelder's fantasy.

What I had come to see today, though, was a spiral staircase. Thestaircase was welded into other fanciful curlicues of metal creating afence, but it led nowhere, just upwards into the sky. Did the welderuse it for star gazing, if he had time after his day’s welding? I recog-nized a kindred spirit in the welder. Maybe he didn’t have a specificuse for something but he recognized its beauty, even though to thenew owner it was five tons of metal to recycle.

This was just one of many potential donations I previewed as thedirector of ReStore, a Habitat for Humanity building material thriftstore in Albuquerque. Habitat for Humanity discovered that sellingdonated used building materials creates a revenue stream enablingthe construction of more homes for low-income families.Throughout the US hundreds of ReStores have sprung up.

Used material is treasure to landlords, our best customers. Unwillingto put a lot of money into something that often gets wrecked by ten-ants, they find gently and not-so-gently used cabinets they can makefit and upgrade ancient light fixtures with last year’s models. Small-job contractors and handymen working with homeowners on repairsand remodels love our store too. One homeowner bought thewelder’s spiral staircase to access the deck he was creating atop hisflat-roof garage. Another struggled home with a whole wall of win-dows removed from some palatial house.

What might be viewed as kindling by one person may inspire cre-ativity in another. When a plumbing supply company donated partsbins which had been sitting outside for many months, we wonderedif we could salvage anything from them. Teenage volunteers wielded

paintbrushes, being careful not toget splinters in their fingers, andturned some of them a shinyturquoise for our electrical partsaisle. They now hold switch-plates, plugs, and cords. A restau-rateur, one of our steady cus-tomers, begged and pleaded withus to sell him one for a wine rackin his new Brazilian churrasco.We finally relented and watchedhim drive away with one endhanging perilously off the end of his pickup truck.

After a Whole Foods store renovation, I wonderedwhat our creative customers would find to do withthe large wooden produce tables and bins theydonated. The bins were snapped up in a springtimerush of planting fervor as large flower beds. Withtheir pullout shelves, the tables became ideal hobby-ists’ tables.

Perhaps the most imaginative customers are thecrafters. I wouldn’t have thought of wrapping wireand beads around flat glass panels from outdatedchandeliers to make sun catchers. And who wouldhave thought of weaving coils of nail-gun nailsthrough rabbit fencing to make a decorative fence?

In their skilled hands, glass globes become birdfeeders and planters. Knobby clear lamp bases holdcandles or become terrariums and broken tile ispatterned into tabletops and stove backsplashes.

Recycling does have its limits. Who wants a largehot tub with holes punched in theacrylic? And how do we dispose of itwhen it is dumped on our doorstep?Do cheap fiberboard outdated cabinetsever become sought-after antiques? Butthen again, who would have thoughtthat metal kitchen cabinets wouldbecome highly desired additions to aretro kitchen? Many people wouldhave thought an old sink filled withpaint was useless. But it was just the

ticket for a rough and tumble hermit who wasbuilding a cabin in the mountains for less than$5,000. The fact that it had no holes for faucetswas perfect for his pump sitting next to the sink.

I’ve learned to view each item as somethingintriguing, an opportunity for a second use thatmay be even better than its first use. As my guestswalk up my curved pebbled sidewalk, past thecactus and to my front door, they often ask me ifthat oval wire globe on a rusted metal porch spin-dle is a birdcage. It could be, I suppose. It beganits life as a commercial dough mixer, and then itwas the welder’s treasure. For me, it’s the perfectsculpture in a spot where only cactus grows. Thewelder would be proud.

Reprinted with publisher’s permission, University of Oklahoma Press, 2009.

KIRTLAND’S HAZARDOUS OPEN BURNING

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farming& gardening May 2009 13

The face of organic agriculture is changing. I mean that lit-erally. Since my early days as an organic inspector and now asa certifier, many divergent types of people are stepping up to

the plate. Or I should say, plow. As late as the early 2000s, the major-ity of organic operations were run by children of the coun-terculture who long ago realized “dropping out” meanstaking responsibility for your own communities’ needs.

Raising food for local consumption. Impacting the healthand thereby true wealth of your neighborhood. Recyclingthe resource locally, be it compost or cash.

The self-sufficiency cry of the Mother Earth News back-to-the-land’er came to mean not isolated independence butintegrated interdependence. Living in a remote cabinscratching out a few veggies (I tried it) still left a hole inthe whole. When the crop fails, the well runs dry or thechickens get eaten by coyotes the homestead can be a lone-ly place. What many of these Conservationists came torealize is that they had more in common with Conservatives thanthey knew.

In the past few years the explosive growth of certified organic opera-tions in New Mexico hasn’t taken place in “hip” communities sur-rounding Santa Fe or Taos but tiny hamlets ringing Portales: Causey,Pep, Rogers, Dora. Folks who grew up in a tractor seat or the dairybarn are moving their sizable farms into organic practices. For many,

the transition isn’t actually all that difficult. Ingranddad’s day, expensive chemical fertilizersand pesticides were financially out of reach forfrequent use. Aged or composted manure androtations remained the backbone of these farmseven when money was flush for a few bags of 12-10-8 fertilizer.

It was gratifyingand even amusing to see lanky cowboys in newjeans and pressed shirts comparing notes withpierced dreadlocked gardeners in drawstring cot-ton pants at the annual New Mexico OrganicFarming Conference in Las Cruces this pastFebruary. The politics of either side may remainat odds, but helping a neighbor rebuild a burntbarn, keeping watch over the cows next doorwhile they calve on a stormy night, lending ahand & baling wire to rescue an ailing tractor:these are all rural values. Farmers (and that termincludes ranchers — it hasn’t been all that longsince raising crops and raising livestock becameseparate endeavors) have always banded togeth-er. Anthropology shows that early civilizationand villages (soon to become cities) were possibleonly with a steady food supply. Specializationlike making pottery (to better store grain andseed), forging better tools (to ease farm labor)and creating art (not by bread alone) was onlypossible when there was available food for all.

I still strongly believe in localized production ofthings like vegetables, fruit and herbs but “com-

modity” foods like peanuts, wheat or milk are hardto come by if you’re dedicated to shopping in your immediate bio-region. A few mavericks likeVirginia’s Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm have shownthat sustainable multi-crop/livestock operations arefeasible and desirable but they’re few and farbetween. Its hard to say when this could becomecommonplace unless or until energy and fuel are justabout to run out. Anyone remember when we hoped

for that? That such a crisis might make onlylocal production feasible?

As I’ve reported before, if you demand to hopdown to your local co-op or local natural foodchain for milk or tropical fruit on any day of theyear, large-scale commodity production willcontinue. Heck, even that organic broccoli youbuy year-round comes from huge monocropoperations.

Some of the eastern NM organic dairies (we havefour so far) are moving toward directing some oftheir production to cheese making, a commodity

that—unlike cartonized milk—doesn’t rely only onbig contracts with nationwide distributors. I’m notputting down the organic dairymen who must usethose contracts. Far from it. They (followed closely bypeanut growers) are responsible for a huge rippleeffect in their communities. The need for more andbetter cared-for pasture and quality hay coaxes morefarms into certified organic production. More jobs forlocal farmhands and more money channeled to localequipment dealers means more money to local restau-rateurs, grocers and hardware stores struggling tohold their own against Wal-Mart.

No this isn’t the only answer to revitalizing commu-nity and the local food-shed but it sure looks liketrickle-up economics to me. I’m proud to know thesenew-to-organic farmers, folks I once stupidlythought I had little in common with. I am, however,interested to see who in Roosevelt County takes thatfirst step to producing vegetables for their localeconomy. Grandpa did it.

IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE: The Small New MexicoGrower’s Impact on Their Community. BRETT

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community forum May 2009 14

BY SARAH WILKINSON

In about the same amount of time that it takesfor a mama elephant to give birth to her baby,PeacePal has grown from a small letter-writing

project to a program that nowincludes 12 countries and morethan 1,700 pen pals!

So, to celebrate our success weare throwing a FREE interna-tional birthday party. The cele-bration runs from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, May 16 at TheHarwood Art Center in Albu-querque and includes international music, food,dance, costumes and art.

Learn Hawaiian hula, take an up-close look atauthentic Japanese kimonos, dance to the beat ofTaiko drumming or Marimba, get a henna handdesign, and sample treats from around the world.Displays from local PeacePal groups, a kids’ inflat-

able jumper, silent auction and raffle roundout the activities at the party, which has thetheme of “Peace Begins in Me: What OnePerson Can Do.”

“By using old-fashioned letters to formfriendships, we discover common inter-ests and common ground. We want ourpen pals to learn about respecting dif-ferences and resolving conflicts peace-fully so that they can take those skillsinto adulthood and be peaceful leadersin their communities.”

Project PeacePal is an international peaceeducation pen pal and community serv-

ice organization dedicated to empoweringtomorrow's leaders. PeacePal Birthday Party:Don’t miss the fun! 10am-2pm on Saturday,May 16 at the Harwood Art Center at 11477th Street NW in Albuquerque. For moreinformation about Project PeacePal andthe birthday party, visit www.peacepal.org or call 505-255-2042.

LINKING YOUTH IN OVER 12 COUNTIES: PEACEPAL

BIRTHDAY PARTY

Shoots program, service learning and how to taketheir own passions to help the environment, ani-mals and people and turn them into community-based service projects.

The retreat will be free to anyaccepted applicants. Participantswill be responsible for their owntransportation to and from theevent; however, the Roots &Shoots Four Corners Office willassist in coordinating any car-pooling opportunities that may beavailable.

For more information contact Emily DietrichMillstein, Regional Program Manager, 216 OteroSt., Santa Fe, NM 87501, 1-505-988-1670, or e-mail: eDietrichMillstein@janegoodall.org.Or goto www.rootsandshoots.org

Youth Leadership Retreat, Wind River Ranch

A s summer draws near, Roots &Shoots Four Corners is welcomingapplications for their 2009 Youth

Leadership Retreat. Held at Wind RiverRanch (www.win driverranch.org) in Watrous,New Mexico, from June 12th to the 14th, it isopen to any high school-aged youth who residesin the Four Corners Region (Utah, Colorado,Arizona or New Mexico). Youth do not need to be amember of the Roots & Shoots program to be consid-ered. The application deadline is May 22.

These potential youth leaders will join Roots & Shootsstaff to learn about Dr. Jane Goodall and the Roots &

roots &shoots

BY ROBERT GRIFFIN

Hummingbird Living School and Com-munity, located in northern New Mexico,is committed to stewarding the shift

in consciousness needed for us to transformour world into unity, love and cooperation.Programs are oriented toward making thatshift within oneself to become the changeyou want to see and inspire others to do thesame. This includes: Co-creation, Eco-stew-ardship and Regenerative Arts; the skills nec-essary to evolve our relationship with allparts of our life, Self, Spirit, Earth; our social interac-tions and our cultural expressions.

Hummingbird has several programs this summer ofinterest to Transition Initiatives and area youth andyoung adults. The Community ApprenticeshipCertification Program (CACP) offers a well round-ed experience in the various dimensions of sustain-able living. Special programs offered by friends ofHummingbird can also be attended individually

rather than as part of the CACP. Some scholarshipsare possible for some of the programs as well as per-sonal fundraising support.

• Pachamama Alliance’s Awaken-ing the Dreamer, Be the ChangeYouth Facilitator Training• Regenesis Solstice Retreat:Everyday Evolution – RemakingOur World From Soul withSamantha Sweetwater• Vision Quest with Jorge (RedTail Hawk) Arenivar

• Permaculture Design Certification Course withRico Zook• Co-Creating the Human Dream with KatharineRoske and Richard Ruster

Go to www.hummingbirdlivingschool.org/2009programs. Or call Robert at 575-387-5877, orLinda at 575-387-2418.http://www.hummingbirdcommunity.org

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mixed vegetables for a U-pick operation. Their aim has been to become bulk lavender suppliers. They still have most of their essential oil from the 2006 crop, and have completed the harvest and processing of the 2007 crop. They also make lavender-raspberry jam.

Their farm is for sale. They are a retired couple who built up the business as a part-time hobby and are now overwhelmed by the workload as demand has increased. I am delivering samples of their extract to Aromaland for testing and hope this connection will result in an outlet for their bulk oil.

Quail Valley FarmNetta Coleman recently started Quail Valley Farm. She is an RN at a hospital in Ruidoso. She keeps 500 quail, gathers 400 eggs per day, and pickles and packs two to three cases per day. She is experimenting with different breeds to see which work best for her, and is ready to expand and adapt her facility to attain high animal welfare standards.

Eagle Ranch, Heart of the Desert PistachiosThe Schweers family started Eagle Ranch thirty years ago. The ranch currently comprises 85 acres. Most of their12,000 trees are sixteen years old and nearing peak production. (These trees will produce for a long time: there are pistachio trees in the Middle East that are 2,000 years old.) Each tree can produce eighty pounds of nuts per year, in a cycle like pecans, where a bumper year is followed by a less productive year. Eagle Ranch has developed a first-class processing and production facility. Overall New Mexico pistachios are less than one percent of the domestic total. We discussed opportunities in the organic market, and Steve agreed that it was worth further investigation.

Tularosa Travel Center, Glover FarmsJohnny Glover and family produce pecans and this year have supplied the CDC with pecans in shell for holiday sales at our stores and for distribution to Whole Foods.

December 29, 2007

Tucumcari Mountain Cheese. Chuck Krause and his partners Neville Muggleton and Scott Novy opened this factory in 1995. They have produced various types of cheese, including aged cheddar and jack, but now focus on feta. They have developed a range of packaging and marketing

contacts in the Greek food distribution channels. They ship semi-truckloads of feta east to Boston and Philadelphia and west to San Diego, among other cities.

Chuck is excitedly rearranging the plant to enable production of specialty cheeses in small batches, to complement the feta business that is the company’s mainstay. We have received our first shipment of cheddar and muenster. Asiago will follow after its required sixty-day aging.

February 28, 2008

Sunsong Dairy, EstanciaTammy and Bill Griffis have been building up Sunsong Dairy, hoping to enter the raw goat milk market this summer. There is no Organic Valley of goat milk to take their overflow. The market for volume raw goat milk is uncertain and the handling requirements will be challenging. The process of bringing this new product online will be somewhat slow. Tammy and Bill are counting on the Co-op as the distributor for their milk. Old Windmill Dairy, Estancia, will use their milk in cheesemaking.

The essence of value chain work is that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In some ways this past year has been a struggle, and there’s still much work to be done to strengthen the CDC, deliver value for the stores, and provide more foundational, year-round products for our transportation system. I am very excited and pleased by the significant progress we have made in the dairy sector, but I would like to see more momentum in, for example, produce and meat department work. I am confident we can work together to make the best of this extraordinary opportunity.

Steve Warshawer also operates Beneficial Farm, near Santa Fe, New Mexico’s oldest CSA (Community Supported Agriculture project).

“I help the food producer however I can, or direct them to others who can help them if I can’t.”–Steve Warshawer

Keith Franzoy, Desert Gardens

Comanche

Cutter

Aztec

Candelaria

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Michelle Franklin, CDC Team Leadermf@lamontanita.coop505-217-2010

Steve Warshawer, Enterprise Development Managersteve@plateautel.net505-470-4607 cell

CO-OP DISTRIBUTION CENTER 3361 Columbia NE

Albuquerque, NM 87107505-217-2010505-217-0677

Paola Legarde, Sage Creations Organic Farm