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J u n e i s M e m b e r S u r v e y M o n t h ! (see back for details)

by Robyn Seydel

While the Co-op has changed and grown overthe past 30 years the Volunteer DiscountProgram has remained the same. With

nearly 12,000 member owners in three cities, andover 140 volunteers that like to shop at one or moreof our Co-op locations, over the past few months ithas become clear that our 30-year-old volunteerdiscount system was vastly outdated. To streamlinethe system and make it more accessible for volun-teers, and less cumbersome for Co-op staff, we hadto make some changes. After nearly 6 months ofdiscussion throughout the Co-op, we are finallyready to unveil our new Volunteer DiscountShopping Cards.

Juan-Chama water for municipal consumption.Public comment was solicited, but the diversionplan initially failed to raise much concern withinthe environmental community. Though methodsfor removing 48,200 acre-feet of water a yearfrom the river were up for debate, few questionedthe effect such an extraction might have on theoverall well-being of the stream system.

Exactly where the Rio Grande’s water was beingexpended was a pivotal question. Researchersunderstood that evapotranspiration (ET) playeda huge part in the water balance of desert streamsystems, but they did not know the actual rate atwhich mixed stands of saltcedar, cottonwood,and Russian olive take up water and release

it into the air, nor couldthey say for sure whateffect flooding or riparianrestoration efforts might

Editors note: This second part of our “Agua esVida” series continues our efforts to give an in depthunderstanding of the issues related to the health of theRio Grande ecosystem and other pertinent water

issues. This issue also spotlights other consumer oriented riverand water issues.

Flowing into the 21st Century: A Tale of Tails1996 was the first drought year in nearly twenty. The silveryminnow had been listed as an endangered species two summersbefore but conditions hadn’t been so dire that its status domi-nated water operations. That year a meager snow pack madeit almost certain that irrigation delivery, especially below SanAcacia Dam where the majority of the remaining minnowpopulation was found, would have to be curtailed. By mid-April, diversions in the Belen and Socorro Divisions of theMiddle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) had driedup portions of the river channel, dooming thousands of silveryminnows. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and theBureau of Reclamation prevailed upon the MRGCD to main-tain an emergency flow of 100 cfs [cubic feet per second] belowSan Acacia Dam, but before the month was over the SouthwestCenter for Biological Diversity had filed a 60-day Notice ofIntent to Sue a variety of state and federal agencies. The chargewas violation of Sections Seven and Nine of the EndangeredSpecies Act.

On May 20th, sufficient flow for a spawn of minnows was cre-ated using a ‘spike’ of San Juan-Chama (SJC) water owned bythe cities of Albuquerque and Taos. With the spike successful,the Silvery Minnow Recovery Team concentrated on how to

furnish a steady minimum of water to the critical reach; obtain-ing the necessary water was another challenge altogether.

With its farmers up in arms over impending minnow litigation,MRGCD officials pressed the Bureau of Reclamation to dosomething. The resulting “Water Management Strategy for theMiddle Rio Grande Valley,” also known as the White Paper(Whitney, 1996), was laboriously negotiated by “workingguys” and eventually endorsed by managers of their respectiveagencies. It acknowledged that SJC water might not be obtain-able in the future and that managers would have to share theresponsibility of satisfying basin water users, including theminnow, beyond 1997. The White Paper recommended usingany combination of a variety of suggested alternatives andpledged inter-agency cooperation.

Agua es VidaFor the Love of a River

In April, 1997 Forest Guardians and Defenders of Wildlifefiled suit in federal district court over the federal govern-ment’s failure to designate critical habitat for the endan-gered silvery minnow. That same day, the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service notified the MRGCD that it now intendedto file a Notice of Violation for the conservancy’s alleged“take” of minnows in 1996 (MRGCD board minutes,April 14, 1997). Together, these two legal actions sparkeda domino effect of counter suits, interventions, stays, andappeals that would reverberate for the next five years, mak-ing budding efforts to collaborate on ecosystem restorationan even greater challenge.

Watching the River FlowIn the summer of 1996, the Bureau of Reclamation (BR)had released an interagency study on water in the MiddleRio Grande. The report’s bannerheadline was that fifty percent ofrecharge to groundwater in theAlbuquerque Basin-about 31,000acre-feet of water each year-wascoming from MRGCD canals andflood irrigation. Unfortunately,the report noted, the number ofirrigated acres in the middle valleyhad dropped from 20,400 in the1950s to about 11,500 acres in1993, representing a loss of 6,000acre-feet of recharge annually.Should urbanization trends con-tinue, the authors concluded, adependable means of aquifer re-

charge could be lost, with severe consequences. City, coun-ty, and state governments were encouraged to considerincentives to preserve irrigated acreage, and irrigation anddrainage facilities were identified as a possible mechanismfor enhancing aquifer recharge.

By 1997, concern for wildlife habitat and riparian health hadsignaled a significant change in water operations. Federalagency personnel in particular were beginning to acknowl-edge that processes such as channel meandering and period-ic floods were critical to the vitality of the system.

The Albuquerque’s Open Space Division had been pole-planting cottonwoods in the Rio Grande Valley State Parksince the mid-1980s, but now there were plans for remov-ing saltcedar and other exotics, as well as inter-agencyefforts to foster overbank flooding for cottonwood genera-tion. At about the same time Albuquerque published anevaluation of thirty-two alternatives for direct use of its San

Unfortunately, the report noted, the number of irrigated acres in themiddle valley had dropped from 20,400 in the 1950s to about 11,500acres in 1993, representing a loss of 6,000 acre-feet ofrecharge annually.

Volunteer Discount CardsDebut This Month

have on ET rates in the bosque. To beginexploring such questions, UNM BiologyDepartment and USFWS Ecological FieldServices Office co-sponsored an informationalsymposium on ET. The symposium would leadto a number of cooperative efforts to obtaincrucial data, resulting in a far better under-standing of riparian evapotranspiration in theMiddle Rio Grande.

Aseries of activities in 1997 would shapeother water dialogues. A New MexicoFirst Town Hall meeting acknowledged

that a crisis was already at hand in regard toland and water management and recommend-ed that “growth management” be addressed ina future Town Hall (New Mexico First, 1997).Support for regional water planning was wide-spread, and a grassroots steering committee,the Middle Rio Grande Water Assembly, waselected to oversee work on a water plan for

continued on page 2

by Lisa Robert

Help Guide Your CO-OP

Members: Look in your mailbox for our Annual Member Survey.

We sincerely hope you will take a moment to fill it out. Let us knowhow we are doing and what you would like to see in the future. ThisSurvey helps us understand how to best serve you, our member own-ers. Please fill it out! Bring it in to the La Montanita Co-op location ofyour choice and receive one shopping trip at a 15% discount.

Yes that’s right! We’veupped the discount youget for your time andeffort from 10% to 15%in the hopes of gettingeven more response thanwe did last year. Your inputis important to us. Pleasetake a moment to fill outthe survey and bring itback to your Co-op beforeJune 30th and receive a15% discount Co-opshopping trip for youreffort. For more informa-tion contact Robyn at 217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667.

June is MemberSurvey Month!

And while we are keeping the same great 18% dis-count, volunteers no longer need to work in three-hour shifts. Volunteers will get one card for eachhour that they volunteer in a Co-op related project,or as part of our Community Capacity BuildingProgram. Each discount card is good for one shop-ping trip at an 18% discount and can be used atany location.

All current volunteers were sent a letter last Marchon the proposed changes. Their feedback has beenincorprated into the new program.

The new system does away with multiple trips tothe info desk and our old system of banking, log-ging, turning discounts on and off and the ineffi-ciency of having volunteer discount only availableat your usual Co-op location.

We hope volunteers will be patient with us as we getthis new system up and running. We believe thatonce it gets going it will be far more efficient andeasy for volunteers to use. New Volunteer DiscountShopping Cards should be available by June 5th.

If you have problems or questions please call Robin at217-2027 or toll free at 877-775-2667.

Part II

get a 15% discount!

Unfortunately, collaboration had not yet trumped litigation. Withprospects for a below-average spring runoff, and a court duel forthcom-ing over critical habitat for the silvery minnow, environmental groupssent another 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue in early 1999. But as luckwould have it, a late spring storm brought substantial moisture to thethirsty system, and even in a maze of legal proceedings regarding theminnow a cautious discussion began taking place among advocates ofthe Green and White Papers. Fittingly, the first meeting occurred at Soly Sombre in Santa Fe beneath a display of black and white photos of theruins of Chaco Canyon, abandoned in response to what archaeologiststerm “environmental change.” To help secure congressional support andhelp minimize duplicated effort, the two groups began exploring “alter-native processes for good faith collaborative problem-solving.”

However, an initiative that would eventually dis-lodge most others was already in existence. TheEndangered Species (ESA) Work Group, whicheventually became known as the Middle Rio

Grande ESA Collaborative Program, was considering howto keep the river wet below San Acacia, where major prob-lems had been identified. Group members were exploringthe idea that perhaps the minnow could be moved

upstream in low water years andmaintained in specifically con-structed backwaters in the Albu-querque reach or above Bernalilloon various Pueblo lands.

River restoration had been under-way at the Pueblo of Santa Ana forsome time with a long-term goal ofreactivation of several old oxbowsand side channels. Such areas wouldprovide natural nurseries for both

cottonwoods and aquatic species like the silvery minnow. The Fish andWildlife Service also had a recovery plan for the silvery minnow that iden-tified four necessary actions: restoration and protection of habitat withinthe middle valley, reestablishment of the species into suitable habitat with-in its historic range, and a public awareness and education program.

As the century came to a close, estimates of the region’s annual waterdeficit had been revised downward from 70,000 to 57,000 acre-feet ayear; the amended budget also contained a brand new pie chart thatassigned percentages to uses and depletions throughout the system.Discord over the deficit and those percentages would continue for the nextseveral years. Impatience still reigned among a handful of environmentalgroups, too; together they filed suit in federal district court to “preventfurther decline of the Rio Grande ecosystem in central New Mexico.”

The New MillenniumAlthough the new millennium opened with daily communicationbetween water management agencies regarding flows for the silvery min-now, it was taking place amid a landscape of lawsuits and countersuits.To help connect the profusion of groups and initiatives, the non-profitadvocacy group Rio Grande Restoration held an information workshopon April 11, 1996. In a world of amplified meetings, this one made a sig-nificant impression, underscoring the enormous volume of work under-way on river and ecosystem issues, and showcasing the general bon-homie among those who were involved in the effort. That same day,however, Land and Water Fund of the Rockies filed a motion for pre-liminary injunction requiring federal water managers to keep the RioGrande wet through the difficult San Acacia reach, and requiring athree-day notice if “discontinuous flows” were expected in the river.

Congruent with a hot Fourth of July, the MRGCD received a hand-carried letter from the Bureau of Reclamation, ordering that a con-

tinuous flow of 300 cfs be maintained at San Acacia Diversion Dam forthe Rio Grande silvery minnow. At that rate, the MRGCD’s water sup-ply would be used up by the end of August. In the same letter, conser-vancy officials learned that the U.S. government was claiming title toMRGCD facilities. In the days that followed, the situation boiled over:Senator Pete Domenici called the action a “nationalization” of the irri-gation district; the state Attorney General filed a brief intervening in theongoing minnow suit; Albuquerque officials spoke of defending city-owned SJC water against federal takeover; the Valencia CountyCommission passed an emergency resolution condemning the Bureau ofReclamation’s claim on the MRGCD; suspicious irrigators reported see-ing “federal marshals” on conservancy ditch banks; and in SocorroCounty, farmers staged an angry protest at the San Acacia DiversionDam to keep irrigation water flowing to the Socorro Main Canal.

In August, a Middle Rio Grande Water Supply Study was released. Itssobering conclusions warned that the water supply as a whole is highlyvariable and barely adequate to meet present demands; that groundwa-ter is not an independent, disconnected water supply, and that its over-use will result in diminished flows of the Rio Grande; and that water usein every sub-region affects the water available to the entire region.

On the environmental front, the ESA Collaborative Program offered upa draft ten-year plan to protect endangered species in the MRG. Withina few weeks of the Collaborative’s proposal, the Rio Grande CompactCommission agreed to let New Mexico “bank” spring runoff in JemezCanyon and Abiquiu Reservoirs to be released over a three-year periodfor the minnow, in exchange for releasing 100,000 acre-feet of water in

continued from page 1Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia Counties; almostimmediately the Assembly became a vocal player in theregion’s water affairs. Tribal governments were weigh-ing the risks posed to their senior water rights. Oneresponse was the resumption of the Six Middle RioGrande Pueblos’ Irrigation Committee. First formed in1980, the committee included representatives of thepueblos of Cochiti, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, SantaAna, Sandia and Isleta, all of which receive their irriga-

tion water through theworks of the MRGCD. Inaddition, the Governors ofthe Ten Southern Pueblosformed a coalition and appointed a committee to keeptabs on water issues of all kinds (MRGCD minutes,May 29, 1997).

At the 70 year-old MRGCD, there was yet anothersign of the times: in September, the agency hiredits first-ever biologist and planner to work on

endangered species and bosque-related issues, and to tryto bridge the gap with an increasingly critical environ-mental community. There were, it seemed, constantgrounds for environmental advocates’ frustration. In set-tlement of a Forest Guardians/Southwest EnvironmentalCenter lawsuit alleging that New Mexico had failed todevelop satisfactory Total Maximum Daily Loads(TMDLs) for various pollutants in its affected streams,the EPA began requiring watershed recovery plans estab-lishing TMDLs for each body of water violating NewMexico water quality standards. In reaction, the NMEnvironment Department proposed removing more thanseventy reaches from its list of assessed rivers becausethere was “no data to indicate that water quality in thosereaches was impaired” (“The ABC’s of TMDLs,” SusanGorman, New Mexico Water Dialogue, December 1998).

End of the Century1998 saw the MRGCD installing an automated watermeasurement system to keep tabs on its diversions and togage return flows from its irrigation and drainage facili-ties. State Attorney General Tom Udall issued an Opinionthat New Mexico law does permit the legal protection ofinstream flows for recreational and ecological purposes(Attorney General of New Mexico, 1998.) The opinionrepresented the first recognition of a stream’s “right towater” by an entity of state government: a view that hasyet to be tested in court. Also that year, the first draft ofthe Middle Rio Grande Water Assembly’s regional waterbudget sparked an uproar by concluding that despitereturn flows from some 70,000 acre-feet of groundwaterbeing pumped from the aquifer, the feast of San Juan-Chama (SJC) water imported into the Rio Grande systemsince 1972 and the blessing of two of the wettest decadesin the last 2,200 years, the region’s water accountappeared to be vastly overdrawn.

With the Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments asits host, a Bosque Consortium was formed to serve as aclearinghouse for bosque restoration work. Althoughmatters of funding and authority proved to be ultimatestumbling blocks for the Consortium, interactionbetween its participants and the knowledge gleaned fromtheir open discussion persists today in other guises.Opportunities to approach problems collectively weregathering momentum. With plans in the works by bothAlbuquerque and Santa Fe to begin diverting SJC waterfor direct use, environmental interests decided to joinforces. Spearheaded by an organization called the Landand Water Fund of the Rockies, a collection of environ-mental groups formed the Alliance for Rio GrandeHeritage and began drafting a document aimed at imple-menting the 1996 multi-agency river management agree-ment known as the White Paper. The “Green Paper”offered a roadmap that went several steps further thanthe water managers’ set of action alternatives.

agua es vidaA Community - Owned Natural Foods Grocery Store

La Montanita CooperativeAlbuquerque/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun.3500 Central S.E.Albuq., NM 87106 265-4631

Albuquerque/ 7am-10pm M-S, 8am-10pm Sun.2400 Rio Grande Blvd.Albuq., NM 87104 242-8800

Gallup/ 10am-7pm M-S, 11am-7pm 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

Administrative Staff: 505-217-2001TOLL FREE: 877-775-2667 (COOP)• General Manager/C.E. Pugh x113ce@lamontanitacoop.com• Controller/John Heckes 217-2026johnh@lamontanitacoop.com• Accounting/Toni Fragua x102tonif@lamontanitacoop.com• Business Development/Steve Watts x114• Computers/Info Technology/Mark Bieri x108 computers@lamontanitacoop.com• Human Resources/Sharret Rose x107hr@lamontanitacoop.com• Marketing/Edite Cates x104editec@lamontanitacoop.com• Membership/Robyn Seydel x105robins@lamontanitacoop.com

Store Team Leaders: • Michelle Franklin/Nob Hill 265-4631mf@lamontanitacoop.com• John Mulle/Valley 242-8800jm@lamontanitacoop.com• William Prokopiack/Santa Fe 984-2852willpro@lamontanitacoop.com• Tracy Thomasson/Gallup 863-5383tracyt@lamontanitacoop.com

Co-op Board of Directors:email: bod@lamontanitacoop.comPresident: Martha WhitmanVice President: Marshall KovitzTreasurer: Ken O’BrienSecretary: Roger Eldridge Susan CizekTom HammerTamara SaimonsJonathan SiegelAndrew Stone

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

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

Membership information is available at all four Co-op locations, or call 217-2027email: memb@lamontanitacoop.com

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

Copyright © 2006La Montanita Co-op SupermarketReprints by prior permission.

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CO-OPYOU OWN IT

2 june 2006

For the Love of a RiverPart II.

continued on page 3

Help prevent furtherdecline of the RioGrandeEcosystem.

agua es vida

by Joni Arends, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety

U.S. nuclear weapons facilities operated by theDepartment of Energy (DOE) have contaminatedevery river they have come in contact with.

Radionuclides and hazardous materials have beenfound in Washington’s Columbia River, in Idaho’sSnake River and in Tennessee’s Clinch River. In NewMexico, DOE owns Los Alamos National Laboratory(LANL) which is located on the Pajarito Plateau abovethe Rio Grande. The Rio Grande is not immune to con-taminants. Indeed, LANL has already had a markedimpact on the water quality of the Rio Grande.

In 2000, Los Alamos County closed a drinking waterwell due to the detection of perchlorate, a thyroid dis-ruptor. And this past February, another contaminant,polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), caused the NewMexico Environment Department and the New MexicoDepartment of Health to issue the first ever “do noteat” advisory for channel catfish in the Rio Grande.

Another revelation came more recently. Elevated levelsof hexavalent chromium were detected in the regionalaquifer. Over the years, chromium was discharged byLANL into Los Alamos, Sandia and Mortandadcanyons. Releases began in the 1950s and were sus-pended in the mid 1970s. As a result elevated chromi-um levels have been found in Mortandad Canyon.

Chromium is naturally occurring and can be found inplants, soil, and in groundwater, where it is highlymobile. Two forms of chromium are important atLANL: trivalent and hexavalent chromium. Althoughtrivalent chromium is known to positively contribute tohealth, the EPA has found hexavalent chromium to betoxic, even when exposures are brief. If ingested, hexa-valent chromium can be lethal. It causes stomach upset,ulcers, convulsions and kidney and liver damage.External exposure can cause ulcers on the skin, rashesand nerve damage. It is the controversial toxin por-trayed in the Hollywood film "Erin Brockovich."

In December 2005, LANL reported finding elevated lev-els of chromium in a characterization well for the region-al aquifer. The chromium level, which was elevated forsome time has recently increased drastically. BetweenJanuary 2004 and December 2005, the detected hexava-lent chromium levels nearly doubled from five times thestate standard at 270 parts per billion (ppb) to eight timesthe state standard at 405 ppb. The New Mexico drinkingwater standard for hexavalent chromium is 50 ppb. Thefederal Safe Drinking Water Act standard is 100 ppb.

june 2006 3

In March 2006, LANL released a report that documents their effortsto discover the extent and prevent the spread of the contaminationplume. LANL asserts that the chromium contamination has not beendetected in Los Alamos County drinking water wells. However, themost productive wells, Pajarito Mesa 3 and Otowi 4, are located with-in a mile of the characterization well where the chromium was found.

The presence of hexavalent chromium contamination in the regionalaquifer is a threat to Los Alamos County drinking water supplies.Residents there rely solely on the aquifer for drinking water.Additionally, high levels of hexavalent chromium in the aquifer is anearly warning for communities who are planning to divert water fromour river systems. While no one knows the full extent of the regionalaquifer beneath northern New Mexico, we do know that it dischargeswater into springs at the base of canyons bordering the Rio Grande.Thus, river water supplies could be at risk. Communities that may be

threatened includeSanta Fe due to the

Buckman Diversion Project, andAlbuquerque because of the SanJuan-Chama Drinking WaterProject. It is chromium's groundwater mobility and the interconnectedness of all water systems, both sur-face and groundwater, that threatens the safety of our water supplies.The priority now is to find out the extent of the hexavalent chromiumcontamination plume through tests that characterize the water pumpedfrom the surrounding wells.

LANL funds a public education water resources office that is locatedwithin the offices of the County of Santa Fe. The possible influence ofLANL on County water policies through this office is a case of the foxguarding the hen house. Time is of the essence, but funding that shouldbe used to find the extent of the hexavalent chromium contaminationplume is being diverted to influence public opinion and policy. LANLmust be held accountable.

Contact your elected officials and tell them you want more oversight ofDOE and LANL operations, especially chromium contamination. For infogo to www.nuclearactive.org or call at 986-1973.

Co-op ValuesCooperatives are based on the values of self-help,self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity andsolidarity. In the tradition of their founders, coop-erative members believe in the ethical values ofhonesty, openness, social responsibility and car-ing for others.

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

The Co-op Connection is published by LaMontanita Co-op Supermarket to provide informa-tion on La Montanita Co-op Supermarket, thecooperative movement, and the links betweenfood, health, environment and community issues.Opinions expressed herein are of the authors andare not necessarily those of the Co-op.

CO-OPYOU OWN IT

Valley

continued from page 2Elephant Butte. While acknowledging the action as a step in theright direction, environmental plaintiffs in the minnow casedeclared the agreement would neither save the species, norderail the ongoing lawsuit.

Drinking the River

In June of 2001, the City of Albuquerque applied to theOffice of the State Engineer for a permit to divert all 48,200acre-feet of its San Juan-Chama water plus an equal amountof native Rio Grande water from the river. Under the pro-

posed Drinking Water Project, peak diversions of up to 103,000acre-feet per year would be treated and circulated for municipaluse. The native water would be returned to the river as treatedeffluent at Albuquerque’s wastewater plant some fourteen milesdownstream. Protests of the application were subsequently filedby the Navajo Nation, the San Juan Water Commission, thecommunity of Bloomfield, the MRGCD, the Pueblo of Isleta, anumber of private citizens, and a coalition of agricultural andenvironmental interests. Overall, protestants charged that thediversion would infringe on existing water rights, diminish theoverall water supply for downstream users, jeopardize riparianhabitat, impact water quality, and interfere with the state’s abili-ty to meet its Rio Grande Compact obligations.

That fall, Rio Rancho became the first municipality in the state tohave to secure up front the surface water rights to offset a pro-posed increase in groundwater withdrawal. Prior to a new rule,set forth in the Middle Rio Grande Administrative AreaGuidelines, entities had been granted a conditional pumping per-mit based on a promise to acquire the necessary rights in thefuture. The practice, known as “dedication,” had allowed theState Engineer to grant a well permit to a municipal system,mutual domestic, or new subdivision without knowing where theoffset water would come from. Now, New Mexico’s fastest-grow-ing city would be the first to feel the sting of the amended policy.

By May 1, 2002, reservoirs statewide were at their lowest lev-els in twenty years, and the runoff forecast was one of the worstin forty-five years. On June 6, a proposed rule to designate crit-ical habitat for the silvery minnow was published in the FederalRegister, and water managers once again confronted the reali-ties of trying to keep a desert river wet during drought. Just asfarmers were bracing for a truncated irrigation season, it wasannounced that an agreement had been negotiated between theCity of Albuquerque and the MRGCD: in exchange for drop-ping its protest of the city’s proposed Drinking Water Project,the conservancy would receive 70,000 acre-feet of AlbuquerqueSJC water to see its irrigators through to the end of the year.

Albuquerque had issued a final report (CH2MHill, 2002) onthe possible hydrologic effects of its Drinking Water Project,and in early July, a public hearing was held on the DraftEnvironmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed diver-sion. A majority of speakers expressed concern over the unusu-al speed at which the approval process was being carried out.One noted: “The only group here in support of this project isthe development community.”

In December of 2002, the office of the State Engineer’s hearingbegan on Albuquerque’s application to divert an average of94,000 acre-feet a year from the Rio Grande. The remainingprotestant in the case, the coalition of agricultural and envi-ronmental interests, questioned the project’s effect on seniorwater right holders, the riparian corridor through Albu-querque, and the basin’s already-mined aquifers. They arguedthat city-owned SJC water had in fact been augmenting the RioGrande for several decades through various leases, gifts to mul-tiple users, and groundwater pumping offsets.

Accordingly, the Coalition pressed the State Engineer to con-junctively administer the city’s existing ground and surface

Weapons and Water:Chromium Contamination in New Mexico

For the Love of a River

The prioritynow is to find out the extent of the hexavalentchromium contaminationplume.

continued on page 4

Gallup

Santa Fe

june 2006

agua es vida

4

by Michael Jensen, Amigos Bravos

It is a common perception that water treatment plants produce puredrinkable water. However, recent local and national studiesraise questions about that belief. The drinking water diversiontreatment facility near Alameda and the wastewater treatmentfacility near Rio Bravo allow pharmaceuticals and other

organic contaminants to enter our drinking water and water dis-charged into the Río Grande.

Maceo Martinet, a UNM graduate biologystudent, tested Albuquerque’s WWTP for 19pharmaceutical and personal care products(PPCPs) in Fall 2004. He found antibiotics,nonprescription drugs, insecticides, the anti-microbial ingredient triclosan, fire retar-dants, and plastic-derived compounds in thewater downstream from the facility. He alsofound PPCPs concentrating in the shallowgroundwater and soils 30-40 yards in fromthe banks of the river.

In 2002, the US Geological Survey (USGS) conducted the first nation-wide study of 95 pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organicwastewater contaminants in a network of 139 streams in 30 states(http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/OFR-02-94/index.html). Focusing onstreams considered susceptible to contamination from wastewatersources, the study found human and veterinary drugs, natural andsynthetic hormones, detergent metabolites, plasticizers, insecticides,and fire retardants. One or more of these chemicals were found in80% of the streams sampled. Half the streams had 7 or more andabout one-third contained 10 or more of these chemicals.

A Pharmacy Runs Through ItOur Drinking WaterThe Río Grande above Albuquerque also containsPPCPs from upstream wastewater facilities andother sources. Albuquerque’s Drinking WaterProject takes river water, treats it, and then pipes itto consumers. The city is also allowed to take addi-tional river water, treat it, and pump it into theaquifer for future drinking water use.

The wastewater treatmentfacility discharge flows down-stream through Albuquerque’sSouth Valley, Isleta Pueblo,Belen and Los Lunas, and far-ther downstream. Some resi-dents of those communitiesrely on river water to irrigatecrops for family consumptionand on shallow domestic wellsfor drinking water.

Human and River Health ImpactsResearch on PPCPs and their impact on health isvery recent. Mainstream opinion is that individualchemicals are found in concentrations too low toaffect human health. However, there are manyunanswered questions. What about chemicals notmeant to be consumed, such as pesticides and insec-ticides? Could PPCPs have a multiplier effect orcombine to form new chemicals? What is theimpact of these chemicals in our water every dayover many decades?

The impact of PPCPs on aquatic life is much clear-er. Laboratory and field tests of PPCPs at concen-trations found in streams produced impaired oraltered sexual characteristics and produced lethar-gy in fish and amphibians. PPCP-induced changeslikely leave animals more vulnerable to stress fac-tors like drought or predators.

Alternative Treatment and ManagementAlternative methods to break down or eliminatePPCPs include: activated carbon, ozonation, increasedaging of treatment sludge (allowing more bacterialactivity), and membrane treatment (similar to desalin-ization). California and Arizona use membrane tech-nology for water injected into aquifers for futuredrinking water use. PPCPs can be managed by requir-ing separate treatment for hospital wastewater, label-ing of PPCPs regarding appropriate use and disposal,special PPCP disposal facilities, and urine separationin toilets.

What You Can Do• Do not dispose of chemicals in toilets, sinks, ordrains.• Take the lowest effective dose (ask your doctor) ofdrugs like estrogens and other hormones so less iseliminated from your body through urinating.• Ask your water utility to analyze your local waterand wastewater treatment facility for PPCPs and pub-lish the results.• Ask the water utility to conduct a public educationcampaign on proper disposal of PPCPs, includingdrop-off sites or other special handling for these chem-icals.• Ask your local and state officials to investigate alter-native methods of managing and treating PPCPs; andrequire that New Mexico use membrane treatmentprocesses.• Ask your Congressional representatives to requiremanufacturers to carry warning labels regarding PPCPdisposal and to set up PPCP collection programs.• Ask state and federal environment offices to estab-lish and enforce standards for PPCPs from urban andagricultural discharges, and to fund research on alter-native treatment methods.

For more information about the impact of PPCPs on ourdrinking water and rivers, please contact Amigos Bravos:in Taos, Rachel Conn @ 505.758.3874; in Albuquerque,Michael Jensen @ 505.362-1063.

Agua es Vida: For the Love of a Rivercontinued from page 3water permits, and to investigate the connectionsbetween surface flow, shallow groundwater and deepaquifer more carefully before granting so large a per-mit to deplete the river. Indeed, as the hearing pro-gressed it would become clear that the State Engineer’sWater Rights Division had not considered the possibleimpacts of the new diversion on groundwater becausethe application in question involved surface water.Neither had the effects of historic and proposedgroundwater pumping on river flows been taken intoconsideration. Nor was any evaluation done on possi-ble impacts to wells in the shallow aquifer. One wit-ness admitted that the Water Rights Department hadno idea how many individual wells there might be in

the Albuquerque reach, andthat essentially, the OSE hasalways depended on seepage from MRGCD canalsand drains to keep the water table stabilized. Anotherproblematic disclosure was that the state had not beenapprised of the settlement agreements between Al-buquerque and other protestants in the DrinkingWater Project case although it was recognized thatconditions contained therein might affect the state’sability to administer water in the basin.

No Doubt About DroughtWhile New Mexicans in Santa Fe and Las Vegas duti-fully watched their evergreens, grassy sports fields andpublic lawns die for lack of water, Albuquerqueinstalled seventy acres of turf at Balloon Fiesta Parkand reassured its constituents that their city was“drought proof.” By September 2003, irrigation onthe MRGCD’s non-tribal lands had ceased twomonths short of a normal season, and water procuredby the Bureau of Reclamation for the silvery minnow

had nearly run out. Environmental plaintiffs in theongoing federal district minnow case now petitionedfor the release of another 20,000 acre-feet of SanJuan-Chama water from Heron Reservoir to see theendangered fish through to cooler weather. But therequest met an angry wall from officials at all levelsof government, many of whom wanted a delay ofany more releases because an appeal of Judge JamesParker’s decision in the minnow case was pending.Fortunately, the middle valley’s luck held yet again.On September 20--the autumnal equinox--it beganto rain. In a matter of hours, minnows below SanAcacia Dam were swimming in a flow of 1,000 cfs.

On January 3, 2003 City of Albuquerque officialsheld a ground-breaking ceremony on the riverbank atAlameda for a $22 million project to divert 3,000

acre feet of SJC water to irrigatethe grounds at Balloon FiestaPark, various sports fields, andacres of lawn at Journal Center.The “nonpotable diversionplan” would be the first compo-nent of the municipality’s overallstrategy to reduce its reliance ongroundwater. Officials also pro-posed a several-stage droughtmanagement strategy for thecoming outdoor watering sea-son, and to forestall having toimplement the more restrictivelevels of the strategy, they in-

creased rebates for low-use plumbing fixtures andxeriscaping. A level up, Governor Bill Richardsonwas promising a State Water Plan that would inte-grate regional water plans, an inventory of statewater resources, and a drought management strategy.

In mid-May, water resource managers at the 2003Southwest Drought Summit in Flagstaff, Arizonawere urged to plan for years--possibly decades--ofdrought. At the same time, members of the NewMexico Drought Task Force were told by the headof the National Weather Service’s AlbuquerqueOffice that nearly all of the state was in “severehydrologic drought,” with reservoir storage at itslowest since 1978. A month after the dire warnings,the Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed Judge JamesParker’s 2002 ruling that despite non-federal own-ership, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation does have

continued on page 12

How do we get farmerslisted as an endangeredspecies?

Larry WhitefieldApril 1996

MRGCD meeting

what’s in our water?

Classical HomeopathyVisceral Manipulation

Craniosacral Therapy

MARY ALICE COOPER, MD

St. Raphael Medical Center204 Carlisle NE Albuquerque, NM 87106

505-266-6522

For those among us who love adventures in thegreat outdoors the bulk department has what youneed. In addition to one of the finest assortments

of bulk dried fruit and nuts the Co-op has a trail mix toplease even the most finicky hikers.

It’s also fun to mix and match! Fill a couple of smallerbags of different trail mixes, your favorite nuts andseeds, and then put them all together when you gethome. For example, I will often fill a bag of the shelledpistachios with a touch of salt and when I get home mixit with a bag of either Wild Ginger Harvest or CranberryJubilee. That way I have a bit of sweet and a bit of saltand some nut and seed protein to keep me going. Trythem all and find your favorites.

And while you’re at it don’t forget the Chunks of Energysnacks in three varieties: Carob Spirulina, ChocolateAlmond and Honey Pistachio, all found pre-bagged for

your convenience in the bulk dried fruit section. Not alltrail mixes are carried at every Co-op location but can bespecial ordered.

Here are some nutritious and fun snacks to keep nutri-tion at optimum levels. Try the following delicious, highenergy, trail food: Mountain Delight Trail Mix • NavajoTrail Mix • Wild Ginger Harvest Trail Mix • CoconutDeluxe Trail Mix • Truffle Trail Mix • Cranberry JubileeTrail Mix • Organic Oregon Trail Mix • Organic CranberryHarvest Trail Mix • Organic Tropical Trail Mix • OrganicHit the Trail Mix.

Celebrate our public lands by volunteering forNational Trails Day on Saturday, June 3, 2006 atthe Elena Gallegos Picnic Area Open Space.

Starting at 8:30 am, volunteers can choose from avariety of projects, ranging from reseeding trails inthe Open Space system to heavy trail maintenance onthe Sandia Mountain Forest Service lands. Projectsvary in level of difficulty and will last throughout theday. According to the American Hiking Society,National Trails Day® (NTD) is the largest and mostinfluential trails celebration in the nation.

This year’s slogan, “Experience Your Outdoors,”encourages all people to take advantage ofAlbuquerque’s unique access to diverse landscapes.Whether you enjoy mountains, rivers or desert, youare only minutes away from trails that transform thecity into wilderness. Open Space Alliance Presidentand event sponsor Steve Hamp says, “National Trails

Day is a great way to explore, enjoy and appreciatethe hundreds of miles of trails we have here in theAlbuquerque area.”

The Elena Gallegos Picnic Area is located at the endof Simms Park Road, east of Tramway, just north ofAcademy. All you need to bring are a hat, water bot-tle, lunch, sunscreen, and lots of enthusiasm. TheAlbuquerque Open Space Division and SandiaRanger District will provide all other equipment/toolsand instructions. At the end of the day a meal will beprovided along with door prizes donated by the manysponsors. To volunteer, please sign up at RecreationalEquipment Inc. (REI), located at 1550 MercantileAve. (I-25 and Montano), or call them at 247-1191.

For more information, call Jodi Hedderig with the City ofAlbuquerque, Open Space Division at 452-5210 or visitwww.cabq.gov/openspace/calendarofevents.

outdoor adventures

june 2006 5

New Mexico Volunteers for theOutdoors

National Trails Day:Experience Your Outdoors

Taking Care of our Public Lands

The New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors(NMVFO) is an all volunteer organization that hasbeen organizing groups of individuals to participate

in projects that improve New Mexico's back-country hik-ing, bicycling, and horse trails along with other outdoorpublic recreation areas since 1982. NMVFO projects areopen to everyone, and volunteers have fun while caring forour public lands.

Projects vary widely in complexity and exertion. Each isclassified in one of three levels – moderate, intermediate,or strenuous (indicated by Pulaski ratings) – to help vol-unteers understand what to expect and to help match theircapabilities with the tasks. All projects involve outdoorphysical activity in a variety of weather conditions, and allhave activities that can be tailored to meet individual

tastes. The work level is high. Please pay close attention tothe classification and the project description to gain a clearunderstanding of what conditions are expected.

Please sign up for a project by the indicated date so thatthey may plan for meals, tools, transportation, etc. Theproject leader may be able to arrange a ride for you withanother volunteer if you need one. Also, please inform theproject leader if you have to cancel out of a project afteryou sign up.

Project details are subject to change at the last minute, socall the project leader or the office (884-1991 or 1-888-836-5553) a few days before the scheduled start to get the latestinformation. Late breaking information is also posted ontheir website; www.nmvfo.org on the HOT NEWS! page.

For safety reasons please don't bring pets on projects. Aparent or guardian must accompany children under 18. Ifyou have any questions, please call the project leader or theoffice for more information—884-1991 or www.nmvfo.org.

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National Trails Day, Saturday, June 3Leonard Padilla leonardpadilla@hotmail.com 505-690-6428 or Lowell HiokiLhioki@msn.com 505-474-0913. Celebrate National Trails Day with us at HydeMemorial State Park! Escape the heat—enjoy the cool mountains and pineforests just outside of Santa Fe.

Jemez Ranger District, Saturday, June 10Phyllis Martinez pamartinez02@fs.fed.us 505-829-3535 ext. 3116. • Come spendthe day in the beautiful Jemez Mountains and help the Jemez Ranger District getsome sorely needed trail work done. We’ll work on the East Fork Trail, #137, doinggeneral trail maintenance.

East Mountains/Gutierrez Canyon, Saturday, June 24Marty Sanchez mvsanchez@sacbeemail.com 505-861-6920 • Continuing workon developing about 1 mile of new trail in this open space area on the east sideof the Sandia Mountains, east of Albuquerque. Project will involve cutting andworking the trail tread.

NMVO June Projects

For upcoming NMVO activities: www.nmvfo.org.

help fix a trail!

Product Spotlight:Trail Mix for Everyone!

Great HikingFood

SHOP CO-OP AND SAVE

Leona’s de Chimayo Chimayo, NM8-Inch White Flour Tortillas, 13 oz, Sale $2.29

Tijeras Organic AlchemyAlbuquerque, NMClary & Cucumber Daily Shampoo or Conditioner,12 oz, Sale $7.99. Additional Tijeras Products alsoon sale.

Herbs, Etc. Santa Fe, NMDeep Sleep, 1 oz, Sale $7.99. Additional Herbs,Etc. Products also on sale.

La Montanita Co-op Albuquerque, NMTree-Free Kenaf Co-op Greeting Cards, Sale 99¢

VALID IN-STORE ONLY from 5/31-7/4, 2006:Not all items available at all stores.

co-op news june 2006 6

LOCAL SALE ITEMSSHOP LOCAL & SAVE

JUNE SPECIALSWANT TO SEE YOUR LOCAL PRODUCT ADVERTISED HERE?

Contact Angela at angela@lamontanitacoop.com.

by Ivy Edmondson

Evonne Maxwell is a Co-op member and owner of Natural NailsOrganic Manicures and Pedicures. She became a licensed manicuristin 2001, the same year she joined the Co-op. She decided to open her

own studio to provide a natural, organic alternative to the toxic chemicalprocesses of most common nail salons. “Unlike other manicurists who go tothe beauty supply store to get their products,” she says, “I go to the Co-op!”Evonne has been generous enough to share some of her nail and skin carepractices with us.

Evonne’s Product Recommendations for Nail & Skin CareFor soaking hands or feet: Resting in the River Healing Body WashLotions: Any of the products by Jason, especially the Hemp Hand & Body LotionHead to Toe: Anything by Burt’s Bees. Go botanical: Use non-petroleum, botanically based products free of preser-vatives and harsh chemicals. Be flexible: Look for crèmes and lotions you see on sale; just because thelabel says ‘eye crème,’ that doesn’t mean you can’t use it on cuticles.

A Member Profile: Evonne Maxwell of Natural NailsFor naturally shiny nails: Use a three-way buffer(available at most drug stores), following the packagedirections to buff nails to a smooth sheen. (Note: DoNOT buff severely ridged nails, see below!)For polish: Use a base coat that is formaldehyde andtoluene free to seal the nail. This creates a barrierbetween the nail and the polish and prevents discolor-ing or damage to the nails. The base coat also helps thepolish adhere. Then apply two thin coats of polish,allow each coat to dry, and finishwith a clear top coat.

Routine Maintenance forBeautiful HandsDaily: Nip split cuticles as theyappear. (It is convenient to keep aset of nail implements handythroughout the day). Rub lotioninto hands and oil into cuticles andnails as often as possible. Beforebed and also each morning, applybeeswax crème generously to cuti-cles. This repels water and protectscuticles in the same way waxing acar protects against the elements.

Protect your hands: Wear gloves for gardening andhousework. Also, before you slip your gardening gloveson, graze your fingernails over a bar of soap to preventdirt from lodging under the nails.

Once a week: Clip and file nails. Working on one handat a time, soak each hand for six minutes in water withbody wash, and then remove pterygium by rubbingcuticle area with a manicure stick. Nip split cuticles, ruboil into the nail and cuticle, and then wax the cuticle.Apply lotion to hands, and you’re done!

Ridged, delicate nails: Do not buff severely ridgednails, as this will remove the top layer of the nail and mayeventually lead to surface shredding. Ridged nails can bea sign of poor assimilation of nutrients. One way toimprove absorption of vitamins and minerals is to clearpathways in the body with an internal cleansing programperformed once or twice a year or take a cup of detoxi-fying tea with lemon on a daily basis. (There are herbalcleansing supplements and detoxifying teas available atthe Co-op). Also, keep nails short; massage oil into nailsand cuticles, and avoid using polish.

Note on soaking: It is best to soak hands or feet beforecleaning nails and nipping cuticles. Soaking also helpswith removing extremely dry skin and tough calluses.

Routine Maintenance for Lovely FeetApply moisturizer to feet every night before bed. Dryscrub for calluses as needed: Sit on a chair with a wastebasket or towel in front of you to catch the dry skin.Scrub calluses on the feet with a foot paddle, using the

coarse side first followed by a lightsanding with the fine side. “Yourgoal is not to remove every last bitof dry skin in one sitting,” Evonnesays. “Instead, take 5 days andremove it little by little.” Finishwith a moisturizer.

Once a week, soak feet for sixminutes in a small tub or in a bathof warm water and body wash.Scrub off dry skin from ankle totoe and between toes, using exfo-liating gloves. Remove pterygiumfrom cuticle area and clean under

nails with a manicure stick. Clip nails. A toothbrush ishelpful for scrubbing the sides of big toes. Scrub cal-luses with a foot paddle, as described above. Thenrinse and dry feet, making sure to dry thoroughlybetween toes.

Natural Nail Care ClassesEvonne offers a three hour lecture and demonstrationclass on nail care through UNM Continuing Education;the next “Nurturing Your Nails” class is on July 15th. Shealso teaches a class entitled “3-Week Therapy andSupport for Nail Biters and Cuticle Pickers.” The purposeof the class is to identify situations that cause or perpet-uate the habit, instruct students on grooming nails inorder to prevent biting/picking, and offer techniques toovercome such deep-seated habits. Graduates areoffered free attendance to future classes as a means ofongoing support.

To schedule an appointment for a treatment or attend aclass, contact Evonne at 280-9498. The first manicure orpedicure includes intake, nail care education, relaxation,grooming, deep cleansing, and beautification. NaturalNails Organic Manicures and Pedicures is located at 2501San Pedro NE, Suite 117, in Albuquerque.

Dear La Montanita Co-op and Members: I would like to take a moment to thank the Co-op andthe members for your support over the last seven yearsand into the future.

I started Sandia Soap in my kitchen back in 1999 with asoap book and a few pots. Now we have accountsnationwide and pour hundreds of pounds of soap (still insmall 32 lb blocks ) each month. We have moved out ofour kitchen into a 1200 square foot warehouse inAlbuquerque. We pour a silky, sudsy moisturizing bar ata good price and never have and never will sacrifice qual-ity for a buck.

The Co-op was the first store to accept our bars duringthose early kitchen soap years. Today the Co-op is our topselling health food store in the nation and rivals many ofour “gift store” accounts. In keeping with your support forlocal business, the Co-op was one of the first stores tocarry our new soap line, HIGH DESERT ESSENTIALS.

I would like to thank the great and knowledgeable staff atall sites who really are the front line sales people. They area pleasure to work with and a major reason for our suc-cess at Co-op stores. We deeply appreciate the Co-opmanagement for keeping our product, along with otherlocal vendors, in prime locations. We also thank the mem-bers who play a key role in our success with their knowl-edge of healthy choices and for not buying cheap bar soapmade from animal fat (sodium tallowate) and detergent.

Again thanks to you all for your support. We will keepmixing and pouring soap as long as you keep bathing.

Christopher Norton, Founder of Sandia Soap www.sandiasoap.com

Author’s Response to Thomas Mark Kujat’s MayIssue Letter to the Editor:Thank you Mr. Kujat, for your letter. I agree with thepremise of your letter - that hybrids are a wise choice,and that a focus on improving fuel efficiency is extreme-ly important. In your letter, you took exception to mystatement that hybrids are difficult to justify on purely aneconomic basis. I would like to make clear my calcula-tions that lead to this statement.

A new 2006 Toyota Prius retails for $26,500, which islowered to $23,500 if the full federal tax credit can betaken. In order to make a comparison, I have chosen anew 2006 non-hybrid Honda Civic, which currentlyretails for $19,000. These vehicles are roughly equivalentin terms of size, comfort and performance, except anowner of a Prius will experience 20 more miles per gallonof gasoline, which at current prices translates into about3 cents of savings per mile.

The difference in expense is not just the $3,500 price dif-ference, however. We should also include about $1,100in additional loan interest on this amount. At some point,perhaps twice, the Prius battery set will need to bechanged. This is a $3,000 expense that the Civic will nothave. At 3 cents a mile, it will take 250,000 miles torecoup all of these expenses. The car may well run thisfar, but then again it may not.

Even more significantly, a consumer could purchase a reli-able used vehicle that gets 30 to 35 mpg for $10,000, andsave a great deal of loan interest. If we assume no main-tenance differential (used car in one case, battery mainte-nance in the other), it will take almost 600,000 miles torecoup the extra investment. I maintain my position thatthe Prius is difficult to justify purely by economics.

I am still very much in favor of hybrids, for those peoplewho can afford one. They make the most sense whensomeone cares about greenhouse gas emissions and theevolution of technology toward higher fuel efficiency, asyou obviously do.

For people who cannot afford a new Prius, who may notpay enough income tax to take advantage of the taxcredit, or who would pay an above average loan rate onthe higher price, I suggest that there are many affordableused flex-fuel vehicles on the market, which can run onethanol and have a similar lowering of environmentalimpact. See www.E85fuel.com for a listing of flex-fuelvehicles going back to 1999 models. I look forward tothe introduction of flex-fuel hybrids, and believe that theanswer is not supporting either ethanol or hybrid, but insupporting both.

Thanks for your interest,Donal Kinney

Letters to the Editor

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Women’s Issues

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

www.louisemiller.org Albuquerque, NM

LL ittle Moon Essentials began with a dream Laurahad in the winter of 1994. She dreamed of awarming ginger bath, in a gallon jar, called

"Letting Go" that would help her chronic eczema.She woke up the next morning with the blend inmind, and a picture in her head of the jar. Being astudied aromatherapist and herbalist, she made thebath salt with a combination ofsalts that was unique andunusual. Thus a dream compa-ny had begun, with an idea for anew kind of BODY MEDICINE— a product that would pamperyou as well as make your bodybetter every time you used it.

With her sister Lisa, who initial-ly helped produce many greatideas to help Little Moon expandfrom three products into twenty,(and the unending, and at timesfinancial, support of their amaz-ing mother and father, friends,and health food stores), one bulkbath salt grew into a "microblendery" body care com-pany that now offers unique and "truly therapeutic"natural products for many ailments, situations, andinjuries. Everything in the line is created with a specif-ic healing action in mind — to help you treat yourselfto good health for the mind, body and spirit.

A women owned company, they use only whole, freshingredients, would never dream of testing on animals,

urge everyone to recycle their jars, and maintain anenvironmentally conscious standard that befits a"planet friendly" company.

What’s more, they have a fine selection of great footproducts to heal and soothe dusty southwestern sum-mer feet. La Montanita Co-op is pleased to carry the

full line. Choose from:

Cleansing Tea Tree: Anti-fun-gal foot solutions, perfect for ath-lete's foot, blisters, nail fungi andother irritations and infections.Also makes a great massagecream and soak for pedicures. Peppermint: FOR HOT FEET!A refreshing foot duo, which willmake your overheated andexhausted feet feel BRAND NEW!For shoppers, athletes, dancers,and people on their feet all day.Soothing Floral: Floral anti-depressants and anxiety-relieversabound in these foot delights.

Made for stressed-out feet and their owners. Uplifting Rosemary: Stimulating and revivingfoot products for worn-out feet! Balances circulationand relieves pain. Great for athletes, dancers, shop-pers & people who stand up all day. Warming Ginger-Cayenne: A hot toddy for coldtootsies, perfect for poor circulation, painful andgouty feet and as a great therapy for winter sportsthat chill the toes!

co-op news june 2006 7

Calendarof Events

6/3 Coffee with the Board, Santa Fe Co-op 11am-1pm6/5 Foundations Committee, Valley Co-op 5:30pm6/20 Board of Directors Meeting, Immanuel Church 5:30pm6/21 Member Linkage, Immanuel Church 5:30pm6/27 Finance Committee Meeting, 303 San Mateo NE 5pm

Katrina Cooperative RecoveryFunds at Work

by Shirley Coe, Administrative AssistantStore Performance: The General Manager reportedstrong financial performance this year (mid-fiscal year).Storewide, the Co-op is exceeding projections at thispoint. The Nob Hill deli is looking great and performingvery well. Membership in Santa Fe is also doing very well,with 64 percent of sales dollars from members in the lastthree months. Albuquerque averages 80 percent of salesdollars from members. Policy Manual: The Board has decided to review theBoard/General Manager Relations policies to create auniform style (without changing the content). Thisshould make it easier to read now and easier to makeany future changes.

Wine License: By member request, the Co-op is pursuinga license to sell locally grown wine at the Valley store.(Gallup and Santa Fe are in different zones, and they arenot being considered for wine sales at this time.) Thiswould allow the Co-op to sell bulk wine (with no sulfites),and some wines might be sold with a Co-op label.Bylaws: The Board is reviewing bylaws that pertain toeligibility for running for the Board. Part of this stemsfrom the Co-op’s goal of acquiring a license to sell local-ly grown wine. When the discussion is complete, the pro-posed amendments will be presented to membership inOctober for a vote.Board Meeting: Members are invited to attend month-ly board meetings. Please consult the calendar of eventsfor the next scheduled Board Meeting.

BoarBoardd Brief:Brief:Meeting of April 18, 2006

II n early May at the National Cooperative BusinessAssociation (NCBA) Annual Meeting, the Co-opera-tive Development Foundation (CDF) presented a

check for $50,000 to the Federation of SouthernCooperatives/LAF for Katrina-related repairs tocooperative businesses in Mississippi and Alabama,including the Federation's own training facilities inEpes, AL. The check from CDF's Katrina Co-operative Recovery Fund was presented to FSC/LAFBoard Chair Woodrow Keown and Ralph Paige,FSC/LAF Executive Director. As of May 1, 2006,contributions to the Katrina Cooperative RecoveryFund totaled $125,265.

Over $72,000 of that total was raised through 22food cooperatives and their members in 14 states. LaMontanita Co-op contributed nearly $10,000 to thefund. Half of the money La Montanita Co-op sentwas collected from members and shoppers in the jars

Product Spotlight:healthy summer readingThe Nob Hill store has received a recent shipment of cook-books and health related books. Look for the “Staff Pics” listposted on the book shelf. Some summer reading options include“The Raw Food Detox Diet” by Natalia Rose, “AyuvedicCookbook” by Amadea Morningstar, and “How to Prevent andTreat Diabetes with Natural Medicine” by Michael Murray, MD.Please come browse the book area in the natural livingsection.

GreatBooks atthe CCOO--OOPP

Local Product Spotlight:Summer Foot Soothers

New Work

by Jeff Beekman

June 5 – June 29Reception: June 9

Friday, 5 PM to 8:30 PM

Traces

HARWOODARTCENTER

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

at the register and through special communityfundraising events and activities. La Montanita thenmatched dollar for dollar community donationsfrom its donations budget.

The Katrina Fund was established for the followingpurposes: (1) for repairs to co-op and co-op develop-ment facilities; (2) for education and outreach to con-vince Gulf Coast citizens and decision makers thatcooperatives can play a bigger role in the new GulfCoast economy; and (3) for capacity building to makesure that the personnel and resources are in place bothto rebuild existing co-ops and to bring significant newcooperative development to the Gulf Coast.

Once again, thank you to everyone who contributed!Just as was done with the Tsunami CooperativeRecovery Fund, CDF collected no administrative feefor any of its costs associated with this Fund. As aresult, 100% of the funds raised are used for the pur-poses for which the Fund was established.

pamperyour feetwithLittleMoonEssentials!

LIANNE ST. REMY, A.B.T.therapist & instructor

shiatsu & reiki

meridian stretches

mobile: 1.508.479.2675

home: 505.898.0531

Corrales, New Mexico

TRTRY SOME OF THESE Y SOME OF THESE LOCALLLOCALLY MADEY MADESOUTHWEST SUMMER SKIN SOOTHERSSOUTHWEST SUMMER SKIN SOOTHERS

Milagro Herbs: Rejuvenation Hand and Body Lotion • Desert DwellerHand and Body Lotion • Fabulous Foot Salve

La Puebla Elementals: Omega Salve • Heart SalveDesert Woman Botanicals: Fab Foot Creme • Hand and Body

Lotion and other Desert Woman Botanical Products

AAVVAILABLEAILABLE AATT YOURYOUR CO-OPCO-OP

26 Years of Local HealingNova’s owner Dr. Bernaert is an uncommonblend of tradition and inspiration. His busi-ness has been in Albuquerque for 26 years.His homeopathic remedies are sold in theHBA section of the co-ops. “Old doctorsunderstood because they made the medi-cines themselves,” he says, making themotion of grinding a mortar and pestle withhis hands. This is what he does in his store-front in north Albuquerque, creating tinc-tures and elixirs using modern machineryand ancient herbal wisdom.

Old World KnowledgeAs a child in Holland Dr. Bernaert wasalready experiencing the science of plants:His father was head of the botanical gar-dens in his town, and began to teach himthe latin names of the plants. “But whatuse is Latin to a six-year-old?” he asks,laughing. He went on to train as a medicaldoctor specializing in homeopathy inGermany. While there he learned medicineand pathology, and, in his words, “to usethe human body as a healing instrument.”During our talk, he came back to the bordermetaphor many times. “If you split yourpants, it is always in the seam, never in the

the co-op’s road to freshness is short !

fabric; it is where the fabric connects.Where things meet, there is power and ten-sion.” This is a philosophy that Dr. Bernaertuses in his understanding of the ailmentsof the human body, and their treatment .

Science In Tune With NatureDr. Bernaert produces homeopathics usingherbs and minerals from all over the world,some wildcrafted, some cultivated,because he believes that there are cases inwhich each of these sources are necessaryaspects of the remedy. In some situationsminute amounts of toxins that are presentin cultivated herbals act as part of thetreatment, preparing and training our anti-bodies to react and heal us when those tox-ins are present in unhealthy quantities inour surroundings.

Onward and UpwardHe is currently working on a book and sem-inar to help other trained doctors to see thevalue in holistic healing practice.“I try to be a facilitator, an opening to thenew era… It is an evolution and because weare on the outskirts, we express this in apositive way: we are the path to theEvolution.”

Nova Homeopathics

A Whole New BagelMatt just recently began providing deliciousbagels to the Co-ops in the Valley and NobHill. He has been baking all of his life, athome and in food service settings, and inSeptember of 2004 he decided to takeover the Great Harvest bakery in RioRancho from its previous owners, who hadopened it in a complex in Rio Rancho inJune of 2003.

Dense, Chewy, East Coast-style...After baking artisan breads for over a year,Matt and his wife (who also bakes there)decided, in response to customers’requests, to begin making bagels as well.He grew up in Detroit, but had experiencedthe chewy, moist East Coast bagel andknew that that was the type of bagel thathe’d want to produce. This texture is creat-ed by boiling the bagels, rather than bakingthem in the oven.

Connecting With the Co-opHe approached the Co-op and we told him“If you make us some bagels, we’ll buythem from you today!” In order to perfectthe texture and taste of the bagels for us,he tested variations of his recipe, givingthem to friends and customers at the bak-

the co-op’s road to freshness is short !

ery to judge. Finally on the sixth batch hehad arrived at the perfect plain bagel, andbegan adding ingredients to that: blueber-ry, sun-dried tomato, and Matt’s favorite,green chile.

Natural GoodnessThey grind their own flour for the wholegrain bagels every day, which gives it afresh, light whole wheat taste. For thebagels to react and raise correctly, he addsgluten to the dough, but they contain nopreservatives or artificial ingredients. Thesweetener that they use (required by thelive yeast to rise) is either brown sugar orhoney.

A Labor of LoveMatt takes a great deal of responsibility inhis business. He and his wife do most ofthe baking –he works seven days a week,she works the graveyard shift—and hedelivers their bagels three days a week.They have four employees and a deliveryguy who brings us bagels the other threedays. In Matt’s words “This is my baby, andit’s a lot of work!” but when you taste thatfresh, chewy bagel, you know that thewhole thing is worth it.

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The American diet and lifestyle often cre-ates heat and acid conditions in the body.In summer, as outside temperatures rise, theseconditions can be exacerbated and lead toskin conditions, fatigue, stress, and irritability.The foods we eat leave either an alkaline,acidic, or neutral residue in the body aftermetabolization. Eating foods in a ratio of80% alkaline to 20% acid forming will helpbalance the body’s pH. (Interestingly, citrusfruits taste acidic, but leave an alkaline residueand can restore the body’s alkalinity quickly,especially lemons. See food lists below). Ahealthy whole-foods diet, in combinationwith meditation practice (even just 10 min-utes a day), and some form of daily bodywork(yoga, tai chi, brisk walking), can restore thebody to a state of balance and help you main-tain your joy in the desert heat.

Super Alkalizing Foods• Lemons and watermelon (quick alkaliz-ers, great for fasting, cleansing, andrestoration)• Agar agar, stevia, cantaloupe, cayenne,dates, figs, kelp and other seaweeds, kudzuroot, limes, mango, melons, papaya, pars-ley, grapes, watercress, asparagus, endive,kiwifruit, passion fruit, pears, pineapple,raisins, umeboshi plum, unsweetened fruitand vegetable juices

Moderate to Slightly AlkalizingAll other fresh fruit and vegetables(excluding blueberries, plums, prunes, andbananas, which are slightly acid forming),raw sugar, sea salt, carob, tamari, unre-fined vinegars, almonds, unrefined grainmalts/syrups, coconut, honey, miso, olivesand homemade pickles, most spices

cooling cuisine june 2006 10

(excluding nutmeg and mustard, whichare slightly acidic), chestnuts and waterchestnuts, amaranth, egg yolks, sproutedgrains, goat’s milk and whey, horseradish,homemade mayonnaise, millet, olive oil,quinoa, sesame seeds, soy beans and soyproducts, tempeh, and nutritional yeast

Neutral to Slightly AcidicAll other dairy products, nuts, dried beansand grains, fructose, pasteurized honey,unrefined maple syrup and molasses(Note: chewing each mouthful of wholegrains 40 times increases alkalinity)

Moderately to Extremely AcidFormingTobacco, refined cereals (i.e. cream ofwheat, corn flakes), all white flour prod-ucts, fish and shellfish, fruit juices withsugar, jams and jellies, processed syrups,commercial pickles, wine, sweetenedyogurt, beer, brown sugar, all fowl andmeat products, chocolate, coffee, liquor,table salt, black tea, white vinegar, carbon-ated drinks, refined white sugar, and artifi-cial sweeteners

(t = teaspoon/ T = tablespoon/ C = cup)

Cooling pH-balancing drink

1/4 C aloe vera juice3/4 C purified or spring water1 t liquid chlorophyll1/8 t sea or mineral salt1/2 t organic unrefined sugar(or a scant pinch of stevia powder)2 t fresh lemon or lime juice

Combine ingredients, stir, and drink daily.

Slivered Veggie Chop Suey

Almost any vegetable works in thisrecipe; the secret lies in making thelongest and thinnest slivers that you can

manage. Use a veggie “spiral slicer”(Saladacco or similar machine) if youhave one. Thin slivers will pick up thetaste of the seasonings and are fun to eatand easy to digest. It is worth the effort!

2 carrots, slivered2 stalks celery, peeled and slivered1 C thinly sliced mushrooms1 red pepper, slivered2 C Bok Choy, chiffonade (roll leavesand stems cigar-style and slice very thin)1 small zucchini, slivered1 C green beans, slivered1 C snow peas or snap peas1 C mung sprouts1 C sunflower sprouts1 C clover sprouts1 small red onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1/4 C chopped cilantro2 t ginger juice, or 1 T minced ginger2 T or more toasted or raw sesame oil2 T tamari4 pieces of Nori, cut in 1/2" strips

Toss well. To use as a main course or a onedish meal, add 2 cups soaked pumpkinseeds, sunflower seeds or almonds.

Copyright Notice: The above recipe wastaken from: The Raw Gourmet, SimpleRecipes for Living Well, by NomiShannon. ©1998 Nomi Shannon. All com-mercial rights reserved.

Lettuce Leaf Taco

3 ripe avocados1 large onion1 C bean sprouts 1/4 C fresh lemon juice1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped1 1/2 t cumin2 cloves garlic, chopped1 C sun dried tomatoes, soaked and

chopped

Recipesto Cool the

1 or more chopped jalapenos or Serranos to taste

1 1/2 t sea saltromaine or leaf lettuce

Cut the avocado into chunks, and pourlemon juice over it. Chop onion in foodprocessor, and then add the rest of theingredients and process until smooth andcreamy. Spoon some of the mixture into alettuce leaf and wrap around mixture. Ipromise this tastes like a taco! This dishcan be very spicy with jalapenos. For morecooling effects, use Serrano peppers oromit the peppers altogether.

Raw Spaghetti

2 medium zucchini, as thick and straightas possible

Grate, julienne, or “spiralize” the zucchi-ni in a Saladacco Spiral Slicer or similarmachine. Arrange on plate similar topasta.

Pasta Sauce10-12 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked forseveral minutes in warm water anddrained1/3 C olive oil1 large fresh tomato1 large red pepper1-2 stalks of celery1 clove garlicsea or mineral salt to taste4-5 fresh basil leaves

Blend all of the sauce ingredients in ablender or food processor. Add the soakedsun-dried tomatoes last, a few at a time.Pour over the zucchini “pasta”. Somefresh curly parsley sprinkled over the topadds a nice touch!

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Beneficial Foods is a collaborative of small family farms and ranches in the Rocky Mountainbio-region dedicated to producing food with astrong emphasis on soil, ecology and nutrition.

All of the farms in the collaborative grow their products with organic production methods, butnot all are certified organic. Products are identi-fied by individual farm, and that information isavailable to consumers.

Give yourself the good feeling that comes from participating in a vibrant

and growing local food system while shopping at the co-op.

www.beneficialfoods.org

GET TO KNOW THIS LABELThe Beneficial label is your assurance of fresh,regional, chemical-free, delicious food with aunique, family-farmer signature. Consumers nowhave a clear choice for buying fresh, high-qualityproduce, eggs and meat at prices that reflect thetrue costs of small-scale, sustainable farming.

Sunflower Sprout Wraps

1 tomato, chopped2-1/2 cups sprouted sunflower seeds (soaked 8to 12 hours, then sprouted 1 day)Juice of 1 lemon1 tsp. dulce flakes1 sm. zucchini, or yellow summer squash, diced1/4 cup of scallion, dicedRomaine lettuce leaves, or other broad leaf lettuce

Liquefy the tomato in a blender. Add to theblender the sunflower sprouts, lemon juice anddulce flakes, and blend on medium speed untilsmooth. Pour the blended mixture into a bowland mix in the remaining ingredients. Spoon themixture onto the lettuce leaves, roll them up, andpierce the rolls with toothpicks to hold together.

Coconut Pinon Patè

1-1/2 C raw walnuts or other nuts 1-1/2 C raw pine nuts 1/4 fresh coconut 2 bunches fresh parsley1/2 t dill1/8 t liquid smoke1 t pickled garlic(or substitute 1 crushed cloveof garlic and 1 t apple cider vinegar)1 t paprika1/2 jicama1-2 red, green, or gold bell peppers

In food processor, grind each nut separately (wal-nuts, pine nuts, coconut) until smooth. Grindparsley separately as well. Add nuts back to foodprocessor with spices, blending until smooth.Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with jicama andred bell pepper sliced into “chips” or spread onwhole-grain toast. Serves 4-6.

Creamy Avocado Gazpacho

1 C water Flesh of 1 large or 2 small avocados,

reserving 1 T for garnish 2 C chopped cucumber 1-1/2 C chopped tomatoes 1/2 to 1 Serrano chili, sliced with seeds (optional) 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 sprig mintJuice of 1 lemon and 1 lime1/2 t salt 1 t maple syrup (can use dates or honey tosweeten)2 small mint leaves Paprika

Combine all ingredients in a blender in the orderlisted. Start blender on low speed for a few sec-onds, then switch to high. Blend until creamy andsmooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into 2 soupbowls. Slice reserved avocado and gently dropthem into the center of the bowl. Add a mint leafand sprinkle with paprika.

Raspberry Almond Salad

1/2 head of Romaine, washed, chopped and chilled

2 ripe avocado, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped 1 cup almonds, chopped or slivered 1 cup feta or other raw milk cheese (optional)1/4 cup red onion, dicedFresh raspberriesRaspberry walnut vinaigrette, store or homemade

Very quick, easy, and high protein salad! Not tomention extremely tasty. Wash and chop all ingredi-ents. In four bowls, layer lettuce, avocado, toma-toes, and onion. Top with raspberries, almonds, andcheese or substitute. Drizzle vinaigrette over the topand chow!

Ivy’s Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/4 C raspberry vinegar1/4 C maple syrup1 t Worcestershire sauce1 t Dijon mustard1 to 2 cloves pressed garlic(or 1/2 t garlic powder)3/4 C olive oil1/4 C walnut oil or other nut/seed oil 1/2 t salt, to taste1/2 t pepper

Mix together the vinegar, maple, Worcestershire,Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. Drip in the olive andnut/seed oils slowly and mix with whisk until all isemulsified. This dressing will last in the refrigeratorfor several months. (Substitute apple cider vinegarfor raspberry and add a teaspoon or so of poppyseeds for a stylish dressing that goes well with arugu-la and spinach salads).

All recipes and information on alkaline and acid-forming foods adapted and reprinted from thefollowing sources:Pelago Productions “Food Theory for Healthy Living:80/20” (E-mail pelago@ihug.co.nz to order an 80/20chart or for more info)www.livingnutrition.com/recipeswww.living-foods.com/recipeswww.vegweb.com/recipes/rawwww.vegparadise.comwww.sidedish.allrecipes.comand Ivy Edmondson

cooling cuisine june 2006 11

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Pueblos have prior and paramount rights to irrigate 8,847acres…. Extra measures are being taken to ensure delivery [ofthat water and to] identify non-authorized use by junior users.If necessary, appropriate legal remedies will be pursued by fed-eral government officials.”

Where Do We Go From Here?As the ten-year anniversary of the Bosque BiologicalManagement Plan approached, there were many subjects thatdisturbed the sleep of the water-minded in the middle basin.The Middle Rio Grande Regional Water Plan (MRG Water

Assembly, 2004) was com-pleted at the end of 2003,and almost all pertinentmunicipalities and stateagencies passed Resolutionsof Acceptance. The waterplan offered a collection ofnon-compulsory strategiesand policies for preservingand protecting water re-sources, with a focus on theavailability of “wet water”and on ways to begin miti-gating the past and presentregional deficit. Alone, none

of the forty-three recommendations provide a solution tothe region’s water problems, but together they point theway toward more sustainable water use.

By the close of the year, the first signs of implementation werealso underway on an embryonic State Water Plan intended to“bring all administration of water within New Mexico underone common umbrella.”

In 2004, the City of Albuquerque was granted its permitto begin diverting SJC water for direct municipal use byway of an inflatable dam on the Rio Grande just down-stream of the Alameda Bridge. As a result of the protest

lodged by the agricultural and environmental Coalition, anumber of conditions were attached to the diversion permit,among them improved accounting of Rio Grande returnflows, a reduction in the city’s per-capita water consumptionto 175 gallons per person per day by the time the project goes

june 2006

agua es vida

12

continued from page 4the discretion to curtail water deliveries to its San Juan-Chama con-tractors in order to comply with the Endangered Species Act. TheAppeals Court further agreed that the Bureau of Reclamation had thepower to reduce MRGDC diversions to supply water to the RioGrande silvery minnow. State and City of Albuquerque officials andthe MRGCD all voiced outrage at what could be construed as a fed-eral “taking” of state and private water rights.

That same month, Albuquerque’s $1.7 million refugium for the min-now took in its first guests, and the story of the Middle Rio Grande

bosque took a

fateful turn: a massive blaze,sparked by fireworks in thehands of teenagers, broke outin the cottonwood forest justsouth of Interstate 40, in the very heart of Albuquerque. Before theAtrisco Fire’s smoke had lifted, a new fire broke out the next evening,north and south of the Montaño Bridge. The story drew national newscoverage, federal funds, and the appalled attention of the public, towhom the term “bosque restoration” had previously meant very little.

The 2003 monsoon season was passing by without much promise.On the other side of what local weather forecasters call “the centralmountain chain,” wells were drying up. More ominous still, TijerasCreek had ceased to flow “for the first time in decades.” Down in thebasin to the west, MRGDC irrigators between Cochiti and Isletareceived an unprecedented letter. Non-Indian water users no longerhad any stored water, and irrigation was finished for the remaining2003 season. The letter went on to say, “the Six Middle Rio Grande

For the Love of a River: Part II. online, and 155 gallons per person per daywithin twenty years.

Meanwhile, applications to transferpaper water rights to offsetincreased groundwater pumping in

the region continued to cross the desk of theState Engineer. One in particular—the pro-posed transfer of 652.20 acre-feet per year ofgroundwater rights from Sierra Countybelow Elephant Butte Reservoir to themunicipality of Rio Rancho, 150 milesupstream—suggested the desperation of bothurban developers and the state in trying tofind water to keep the growth balloon afloat.

On the other hand, the long struggle toaccount for the critical-but-unseen connec-tion between groundwater pumping and riverflow seemed at last to be bearing fruit.Unequivocally, the final phase of the MiddleRio Grande Water Supply Study indicatedthat ‘renewable’ supplies of both surface andgroundwater are inadequate to meet currentdemand. Assuming a variability in climatesimilar to that of the past fifty years, RioGrande Compact debt can be expected inthree out of every five years, and even withthe immediate and unlikely implementationof every single alternative contained in its sev-eral regional water plans, the middle basin’ssupply situation cannot begin to improveuntil the year 2040.

The winter of 2004 proved to be an excep-tionally wet one, although forecasters warnedthat the welcome moisture in no way spelledthe end of the drought. Once again, variabili-ty—a characteristic of arid regions that repeat-edly argues for prudence and resourceful-ness—seemed to be offering the Middle RioGrande an opportunity to mend its ways.Coming in July: For the Love of a River Part III:Taking an Ecosystem Approach.

A public Meeting on the plan for us to drink the RioGrande Water! Is it safe?Hear Citizen experts who are not tied to the devel-opers report on their research.

Wednesday June 14, 7:30PMAlbuquerque Center for Peace and Justice202 Harvard S.E.Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque Safe Drinking Water Coalition505-268-9557

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For a complete copy of the Middle Rio Grande Ecosystem Bosque Biological Management Plan The FirstDecade: a Review and Update, from which this article was excerpted, contact Cyndie Abeyta at the Fish andWildlife Service, at 761-4738 or e-mail her at cyndie_abeyta@fws.gov. Please let her know if you wouldlike a hard copy or a CD of the complete report.

Water?

by Will Fantle, Research Director for The Cornucopia Institute

One of the country's preeminent organic watch-dogs has released a report alleging that ahandful of leading marketers are shortchang-

ing organic consumers. The report and scorecard,rating 68 different organic dairy name-brands andprivate-labels, was produced by The CornucopiaInstitute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy researchgroup. It profiles the growth and commercializa-tion of organic dairying and looksclosely at the firms that now seemintent upon taking over the organ-ic dairy industry by producing allor some of their milk on 2000- to6000-cow industrial-style confine-ment dairies.

The organic scorecard ranksbrands on a one- to five-cow scale(with five cows scoring best).Interested consumers can visit thegroup’s Web page at www.cornu-copia.org and easily view howtheir favorite dairy products meas-ure up to consumer values.

The good news in the survey is that “the vast major-ity of all name-brand organic dairy products are pro-duced from milk from farms that follow acceptedlegal and ethical standards.” Many of the brandedmilk, cheese, keifer, and yogurt products are pro-duced with exemplary organic practices and ethics.

But consumers should also know that nearly 20% ofthe name-brands now available on grocery shelvesscored a lowly one cow—the substandard rating.

A booming, lucrative $15 billion market for organicfood and a severe national shortage of organic milkare two factors that industry observers mention asdriving the “get organic milk from any source” phi-losophy. It’s spurring the development of huge con-finement organic dairy operations that pen thou-sands of milk cows into drylots and small sheds.

Horizon brand’s one-cow ranking on the scorecardpartially reflects this situation. The company pro-

Is Organic Dairy Corruptedby Factory Farms?

june 2006 13

cures milk from its 4000-head Idaho factory farm andanother 10,000 head “split” organic and convention-al operation in California, plus it is aggressively work-ing to develop factory farms elsewhere in the country.

But the company, owned by dairy behemoth DeanFoods, currently obtains at least 50% of its milkfrom family-scale producers scattered across thecountry. "Our research,” notes Kastel, “has foundnothing to indicate that family farmers whose milk

is marketed under theHorizon label aren't everybit as dedicated and ethicalas farmers associated withother competing brands.But it is unfortunate thattheir milk is being co-min-gled with the company’s fac-tory-farm milk supply.”

The scorecard’s releasecomes amidst a growingnational debate occurring inthe organic farming com-munity over the rise of con-finement, factory farms in

organic dairying. Public interest groups and farmershave accused the USDA of purposefully ignoring thematter for years and refusing to enforce organicrules governing the management of organic live-stock—a fact that has allowed these gigantic farmsto proliferate and gain a growing foothold in theorganic marketplace.

A much more anonymous but powerful organic dairyinterest was also noted on the Institute’s scorecard: theAurora Organic Dairy, in Colorado. The nation’sbiggest factory dairy, it produces private-label dairyproducts for sale as store-brands in a number ofchains such as Safeway, Wild Oats, Giant, and Costco.

Iowa dairy farmer Francis Thicke, of Fairfield, says,“We have a moral obligation to produce milk thatconforms with the expectation that our customershave in the marketplace. These industrial dairies aremultiplying at a frightening rate and have the potentialto create a glut in organic milk, endangering the liveli-hood of ethical family producers all over America."

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The Organic Consumers Association and someCo-op’s nationally are calling for a boycott ofHorizon products. Although La Montanita Co-opdoes not carry Horizon milk or many other Horizonproducts we invite our members and other con-cerned consumers to check out the following web-sites and decide for themselves what they chooseto support with their purchases.www.organicconsumers.comwww.cornucopia.comwww.horizonorganic.comJillWalters@HorizonOrganic.com

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health & healing june 2006 14

The Premier New MexicoHerbal ExpoHerbal Expo

herbs and more

by Deborahlise Mota, DOM, RH(AHG)

Ayear ago there was a vision, shared by two non-profit organizations, to create an herbal educa-tional conference together with an herbal fair.

The NM Chapter of the American Herbalists Guildand the NM Herb Growers Association collaborat-ed to form the first NM Herbal Expo.

What is it?The New Mexico Herbal Expo was envisioned tobring together growers, herbalists and healthcarepractitioners, in dialogue to promote quality andsustainability in herbal medicine. New Mexico hasan impressive history and connection with herbs,from the rich Native American history, to MexicanCuranderismo, to one of the largest U.S. populationof licensed Chinese Medicine herbalists per capita.There is also a number of successful herbal productmanufacturing companies and educational facilitieswithin our state.

The vendor exhibit will showcase the finest localherbal companies, practitioners, spas, growers, edu-cational institutes, and independent businesses.There will be educational presentations, given byour vendors throughout the day, which are free andopen to the public.

The educational portion of the conference runs from9am to 6:30pm, has two tracks with eleven speakersand ending with a panel discussion of professionalsin the herbal industry. Two tracks will run simulta-neously: the Clinical Use of Herbs and theProduction and Growing of Medicinal Herbs.Conference attendees are welcomed to attend class-es from both tracks, and can move freely betweenthe two. Speakers are an impressive blend of clinicalherbalists, authors, educators, manufacturers,researchers, and growers from throughout the stateof New Mexico

There are many pressing issues facing the use ofherbal medicine in the U.S. The Herbal Expo hopesto address many of these issues, while bringing

Bach Flower Remedies were formulated 75years ago by the noted British physician,Dr. Edward Bach, and are used successfully

today in 66 countries by millions of people. Thishealing system, derived from flowering plants andtrees, is safe and effective, and may be used oninfants, the elderly and even animals. The remediesdo not interact with otherforms of treatment and are atruly complementary therapy.The 38 Bach Flower Remediesare a gentle and subtle meansof restoring peace of mind thusallowing the body, and thebeing as a whole, a chance toregain its strength and abilityto combat ill health through itsown natural healing process.Dr. Bach believed that dishar-mony within oneself was theroot cause of disease. Today,doctors agree, claiming thatstress is a contributing factor in50-75% of all disease. Ahealthy mind really does ensure a healthy body.

Top 10 Bach Flower Remedies• WALNUT- To assist with adjusting to any change inlife or to protect from the influences of others in yourenvironment. Example: Relationship breakups,divorce, new surroundings, new job, new careermove, biological changes (menopause, puberty,teething, pregnancy, terminal stages of illness), etc.• WHITE CHESTNUT- For persistent unwantedthoughts that continue to go round and round inone’s head. Example: Constantly replaying a conver-sation or scene that may have occurred during theday or the inability to turn off thoughts at bedtime.• STAR OF BETHLEHEM- Helps to neutralize the neg-

Bach Flower Remedies:Emotional Wisdom

awareness to the public on the clinical efficacy andthe potential agricultural industry of medicinal andaromatic herbs in New Mexico.

When is NM Herbal Expo?The Expo will be on Sunday, June 25th. The ven-dor exhibit area will be open to the public, freeadmission, between 8am to 5pm. Registration forthe conference starts at 8am, with opening cere-monies and keynote address starting at 9am. Thetwo-track conference will begin at 10am, endingwith a panel discussion and closing ceremoniesbetween 4:45 and 6:30pm. The event will be heldat the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, at 2401 12thSt. NW in Albuquerque. The Cultural Center islocated on the corner of Menaul and 12th St., justnorth of I-40 and west of I-25. Thanks to sponsors,the fees to attend the conference are extremely rea-sonable and there is a discounted rate for AHG andNMHGA members.

There will be 5.5 CEU’s available for bothRegistered Professional Herbalists with the AHGand Diplomates in Chinese Herbology (Doctors ofOriental Medicine) with the NCCAOM (pending).The CEU’s are only available for the Clinical trackand the Panel. There is an additional charge of $10for the NCCAOM CEU’s. Please register for theCEU’s when registering for the conference, so as toacquire the appropriate forms.

For more information or to request a brochure and reg-istration form, please contact Deborahlise Mota, inAlbuquerque at 247-4372. Or e-mail nmherbalexpo@yahoo.com. Registration will also be available atthe door, the day of the event.

ative effects of receiving serious news, or the frightand trauma following an accident. Example: Hearingfor the first time that a loved one has past away, fac-ing surgery, a lawsuit or other serious circumstance.• LARCH- For lack of confidence, inferiority or fear offailure. Example: Not attempting to go after what onewants because of a fear of not being able to succeed.

• MIMULUS- For the fear ofknown things. Example: Fear ofheights, darkness, flying orpain. Also for those who areoverly shy and timid.• OLIVE- For feeling fatigued ordrained of energy. Example:Mentally or physically drainedfrom a long period of illness orstress.• HOLLY- For those who feelhatred, envy, or jealousy. Ex-ample: When a second child isborn, the first often shows jeal-ousy, in the form of moodiness,rebelliousness, etc.• WILD OAT- For lack of direc-

tion or dissatisfaction because ones’ mission in life isnot found. Example: The recent college graduatewho may not be certain as to what he/she wantsnext. • ASPEN- Apprehension for no known reason.Example: Fearing something bad will happen, butcannot pinpoint what it is.• IMPATIENS- For those who feel impatient, irritableor frustrated. Example: Have difficulty waiting forco-workers to finish a project, feeling others are notfast enough and it’s easier to just do the work alone.

To learn more about the Bach Flower Remedies,by accessing a free computer based training goto www.bachtutorial.com.

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N EW DIRECTION

C H IR O PR ACTICChiropractic with an Ayurvedic Influence

K elly Coogan D.C.3216 Monte Vista Blvd. NE, Suite AAlbuquerque, New Mexico 87106chiroveda9@yahoo.comph 505.247.HEAL fx 505.247.4326

Heart disease risk factors are different for women?

Women’s Health Services is nowaccepting new patients and most major insurance plans.

she knows.

A National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health901 West Alameda, Suite 25 Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 988-8869

www.WomensHealthSantaFe.org

Dr. Deborah Thompson has joined Women’s Health Services as a Primary Care Physician.

Dr. Thompson received her M.D. from the State University of New York Health Science Center, where she participated in the renowned Rural Medical Education Program. She completed her family practice residency at Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency Program and her general preventive residency at the University of Colorado Health Science Center in Denver.

Dr. Thompson is currently accepting new patients.

When Los Alamos was first located in NewMexico, no one considered how atomic bombresearch and development would affect the

surrounding Pueblo and Hispanic villages. When theUnited States Government placed $80,000 in aWestern Shoshone bank account and then told triballeaders that their land would be used for atomicbomb testing, no one considered the health of theShoshones or that of their fragile desert home.

But now we are more aware and wiser about sitingnuclear projects, or are we? The Department of Energyand the New Mexico Environment Department areproposing, in the new operating permit for the WasteIsolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), that remote-handledwaste (very hot waste) be allowed to come to NewMexico. However, neither agency is planning to studywhether this waste will disparately impact lowerincome people, those already impacted by dirty indus-tries, or people of color along the route or at the site.

Many groups and citizens in New Mexico believe thata disparate impact study should always be completedbefore dangerous nuclear projects are sited and theroutes that hot waste will travel are chosen. There area number of examples of disparate impacts along theWIPP route now. In Northern New Mexico, loadedWIPP trucks have been stopping two or three at a timein Romeroville, a largely Hispanic community. Thesetrucks stop at a convenience store where resident fam-ilies shop on a daily basis. In Southeastern, NewMexico a 15.2 million dollar by pass was built aroundthe northern, more lucrative part of Carlsbad, whileWIPP trucks drive through the poorer part of town ona road which bisects the community and where chil-dren are often seen trying to cross.

community forum june 2006 15

statewide

Peacecraft’s 17 Anniversay Celebration • June 10th, 12-3 pm/3215Central Ave NE, Join us for cake and live entertainment, including storytelling and Fair Trade Coffee tasting! Call 255-5229 for moreinformation.

GET YOUR OWN GARDEN PLOT!

Rio Grande Community Farm (RGCF), located in LosPoblanos Fields Open Space, is an historic 138acre farm in Albuquerque’s North Valley. Like the

Co-op, YOU OWN IT! If you’ve been to the AnnualMaize Maze, you’ve been to RGCF. Maybe you walkyour dog, jog, or stroll at the farm. Or maybe you areone of the 20-25 community gardeners!

The Community Garden is located at the northwesterncorner of RGCF. Just across the acequia is AlvaradoElementary School, whose students have been com-munity gardeners at this site for many years. TheMaster Gardeners also have four rows at theCommunity Garden where they do experimental plots.This year they are trying to see if mechanical barrierswill help prevent curly top virus, which attacks toma-to plants. The Master Gardeners are at theCommunity Garden on Wednesday mornings from8:30 or so, until around 11am. This would be a greattime to ask questions of these knowledgeable folks.

The rest of Community Garden is for you. For $75per season, you get an 85-foot row, free seeds, water,and the use of our tools. RGCF is in the process of

organic certification of some of the acres, includingthe Community Garden, so you’ll have to gardenwithout the use of agricultural petrochemicals.Besides growing your own veggies, you will be sup-porting community agriculture. Further benefits ofparticipating in the Community Garden are: freshair, sunshine, community building, and wild lifeviewing. Kestrels, meadowlarks, hawks, sandhillcranes, Canadian geese, shy coyotes, and elusivevoles are just a few of the critters that might visit youwhile you pull weeds and tend your urban garden.

If you are interested in renting a row at the RGCFCommunity Garden, please contact Beverly Rowe at344-4592. Bev coordinates the Community Gardenand is a Master Gardener herself.

Not sure you want to take the plunge and have yourown garden, but this RGCF thing sounds intriguing?There are lots of volunteer opportunities at this non-profit farm from being on the Maze Committee toteaching a gardening session at the CommunityGarden to being on our board. This is YOUR farm…come on down! For more information about RGCF,call 345-4580. by Vikki Ratliff, RGCF Volunteer

Hot Nuke Waste on Our Roads?Public Hearings on WIPP Permit

Talking Talons Youth Leadership Program is offer-ing an exciting Summer Science Adventure pro-gram for Youth ages 6-12. Kids can learn about rep-tiles, birds of prey, bats, and arthropods, go on naturehikes, field trips and expeditions, learn to handle birdsof prey and reptiles and make community presenta-tions, play games, make artwork and much more.

Three sessions are available, June 12-23, July 3-14and July 24- Aug 4th. Sessions run Monday thruFriday from 9 to 4:30pm.

For more information or to sign up call 281-1133 ext8 or go to their web site at www.TalkingTalons.com.Sibling discounts and scholarships are available.

In early June, New Mexicans will be given a chanceto speak out against allowing remote handled wasteto come to New Mexico (Why is hot waste beingshipped across thousands of miles of highways toNew Mexico instead of being taken care of closerto the generator sites?) and against the lack of dis-parate impact studies of the WIPP route and site.On June 7 and June 8, at 6pm each day public hear-ings will be held in Santa Fe at the Santa FeCommunity College Board Room on WIPP’s newoperating permit. Car pools will leave each dayfrom the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justiceat 4:30pm. Public testimony will also be taken onJune 8th at 11:30 and 3pm. by Janet Greenwald, Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping

If you cannot attend the hearings, a letter to be pre-sented at the hearings is available for you to sign.Letters and packets of information are available at thePeace and Justice Center, 202 Harvard SE or fromCARD, 266-2663.

Rio Grande Community Farms:Urban Gardening in a Community Setting

Join Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanityand Habitat for Humanity’s International DisasterRelief for a spirited evening of music fromGuatemala, India, Indonesia and the Gulf CoastRegion. Bands include, Gamelan Encantato, SamaDuo, New Mexico Mirimba Band, and Fitti

Fonteneau and the Fat Tuesday Band. Support theirlocal, regional and international relief and rebuild-ing efforts. The concert and Habitat presentationwill begin 7:30pm at the Lobo Theater, 3013Central Ave on Saturday, June 17th. For moreinformation contact them at 265-0057

Talking Talons: Kids Summer Science Adventure

Habitat for Humanity’s Global Music Sampler

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RPP LMT #2663 in the Old Town Area

Somato -Emotional ReleaseC r a n i o - S a c r a l

S w e d i s h

P o l a r i t y

WIPPtruck