Below is a speech that Ms. Olson gave at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Service in May of 2011.
Showing posts with label to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label to. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Family Promise Founder to Speak at Grand Opening of New Day Center in Albuquerque
0Below is a speech that Ms. Olson gave at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Service in May of 2011.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Impressive Group of Speakers to Address End Hunger Summit
0
The Second Annual End Hunger in New Mexico Summit, scheduled for Sept. 23-24, will feature an impressive group of keynote speakers. [Archbishop John Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe was originally scheduled to address the event, but something came up (Pope Francis visit to the U.S.!)]. The Albuquerque Marriott, 2101 Louisiana Blvd. (map), will be the site of the summit. Two of the keynote speakers lead organizations that have endorsed the Interfaith Hunger Coalition (IHC): Adelante/The Storehouse and New Mexico Voices for Children. The IHC will have a display at the summit and will also be presenting a workshop on Wednesday, September 23, !;45-2:45 p.m. in the Acoma Room. Here is a description of our workshopKrista Kelley, is seen as a visionary in the design and implementation of numerous projects that have changed the course of New Mexico communities through hunger, healthcare, employment and access to vital services... Albuquerque kindergarten teacher Sonya Romero has gained international recognition for her generosity toward students at Lew Wallace Elementary School....Since 1984, Pastor John Hill has served his fellow man in the non-profit sector, focusing on individuals coming directly out of the prison system, with drug and alcohol addictions, or with employment challenges...Rev. Jack Bunting is currently serving as the President/CEO of the St. Felix Pantry, Inc. in Rio Rancho, and continues to be passionate about serving the needs of the poor, hungry and hurting within Sandoval County and the State of New Mexico...Sherry Hooper took over as executive director for The Food Depot, Northern New Mexico’s food bank in September, 2001. Ms. Hooper co-founded the Santa Fe Food Policy Council and served on the Council as a City of Santa Fe appointee for four years...Crystal Fitzsimmons leads FRAC’s work to increase participation the federal school, summer, and afterschool nutrition programs. She analyzes policy to advocate for legislative and regulatory... improvements to increase low - income children’s access to the nutrition programs...Veronica Garcia became New Mexico Voices for Children’s executive director in 2012... As New Mexico’s first Cabinet Secretary of Education, she pushed for funding for programs such as school - based health clinics, breakfast in the schools, and elementary physical education.
Faith In Action: An Introduction to the Interfaith Hunger Coalition
Our interactive workshop introduces participants to the vision and activities of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition focused in three areas; education, advocacy and direct action. Here’s an opportunity for faith communities to collaborate in a common place. Explore how you and your organization can join forces without duplication of services.
Check out the full schedule of events, including descriptions of all the workshops and more information about the keynote speakers. You can register on site at the summit on September 22-24. The registration fee is $20. Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items, which Desert Harvest will distribute to feeding sites in Albuquerque.
An Ode to Sorrel
0
If you ask a homestead-minded person what their favorite spring greens to forage are, youll probably get responses like dandelions, lambs quarters, mallow, maybe even stinging nettles. But one thats rarely mentioned is sorrel (or the related dock). Its the Rodney Dangerfield of spring greens. (It dont get no respect!) Thats a real shame, because Rumex species are delicious, nutritious, and high-yielding. We recently had the chance to gather up a mess of sorrel growing in our back yard and cook it up into a couple of dishes that are likely to become mainstays in our culinary rotation. That is, they were tasty, pretty easy to cook, and the main ingredient (sorrel) is easy to gather a lot of over a long season. Read on, and hopefully be inspired to forage some sorrel yourself!
As a side note, sorrel changes color from a bright, cheerful green to a drab army/olive color and falls apart when cooked. So if youre going to cook it, make sure to hide it in a casserole or something. It seems to hold its color ok when frozen (provided you dont blanch it first), but we havent tried making anything out of the frozen stuff yet. Well report back later on how that goes.
How do you eat sorrel? What other greens are you foraging this time of year? Let us know in the comments section below!
The Recipe
2 lb roast (lamb, pork, venison, or chicken)
1 lb carrots, sliced
1 lb potatoes, cubed
1 lb celery, sliced
0.25 lbs green onions, sliced
Stems from 1.5 lb sorrel
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon each garlic powder, oregano, black pepper
1.5 teaspoons each salt and red pepper
0.5 cup heavy whipping cream
0.5 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons flour
Leaves from 1.5 lb sorrel
3 garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
0.5-0.75 cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds, or 0.25-0.5 cup ground almonds
0.5 teaspoon salt
0.25-0.5 cup olive oil
0.5 cup grated cheese
3 Tablespoon butter
6 slices bread
Cook roast, carrots, potatoes, celery, green onions, and sorrel stems in the water in a crock pot until meat is cooked through and tender, seasoning with garlic powder, oregano, black and red pepper, and salt to taste. Remove meat, trim and slice. Add whipping cream, yogurt, and flour to remaining soup, cook until slightly thickened. While roast is cooking, make pesto from sorrel leaves, garlic, nuts, salt, olive oil and cheese. (Put everything in a food processor and process until creamy and spreadable. Coarsely chop sorrel leaves before adding to processor to avoid bridging.) Melt butter in frying pan, brown one side of bread, flip, and brown other side. While the second side is browning, top bread with pesto and sliced roast. Serve with soup and smiles.
 |
| Here is the sorrel in its natural environment. Whats that you say? Its hard to discern it from all the burdock, buckthorn, and other weeds? Thats just our first line of defense against sorrel poachers. Were pretty sure this cultivar is common sheep sorrel, Rumex acetosella. |
 |
| Here is a comparison for how much sorrel we were able to harvest (right) in roughly the same amount of time as it took to pick the swiss chard (left). That is, although we didnt calculate it, the Berry Modulus is probably higher for our sorrel than our chard. We rinsed the sorrel, sent the leaves into a couple varieties of sorrel pesto, and the sent the stems into a soup. (The chard went into a quiche.) |
 | ||
| For pesto, we used this recipe as a starting point, then improvised from there. We only had ground almonds for the nutty part, but they worked. We used garlic powder instead of raw garlic cloves for one batch; that also worked. We also added black pepper. Lastly, we committed pesto heresy and replaced the parmesan cheese with a regular old monterrey jack in one batch, and that worked, too. If that means we cant call it pesto any more, so be it. Its a seasoned, cheesy, sorrel-based green-colored spread dip thing. Call it what you like. Meanwhile, we also had the crock pot full of chopped carrots, potatoes, green onions, celery, sorrel stems, and a lamb leg roast. Other meats that would be good in this application include, but are not limited to, chicken, venison/beef, and pork. |
 |
| When the meat was done, we trimmed and sliced it up, and set it on top of some pesto-smeared toast. By toast, we mean bread rendered brown and crispy by hot butter in a frying pan. |
 |
| Taking the roast out of the crock pot left a bunch of veggies, which we made into a creamy soup by adding some heavy whipping cream and plain yogurt. Good stuff, Maynard! |
As a side note, sorrel changes color from a bright, cheerful green to a drab army/olive color and falls apart when cooked. So if youre going to cook it, make sure to hide it in a casserole or something. It seems to hold its color ok when frozen (provided you dont blanch it first), but we havent tried making anything out of the frozen stuff yet. Well report back later on how that goes.
How do you eat sorrel? What other greens are you foraging this time of year? Let us know in the comments section below!
The Recipe
2 lb roast (lamb, pork, venison, or chicken)
1 lb carrots, sliced
1 lb potatoes, cubed
1 lb celery, sliced
0.25 lbs green onions, sliced
Stems from 1.5 lb sorrel
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon each garlic powder, oregano, black pepper
1.5 teaspoons each salt and red pepper
0.5 cup heavy whipping cream
0.5 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons flour
Leaves from 1.5 lb sorrel
3 garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
0.5-0.75 cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds, or 0.25-0.5 cup ground almonds
0.5 teaspoon salt
0.25-0.5 cup olive oil
0.5 cup grated cheese
3 Tablespoon butter
6 slices bread
Cook roast, carrots, potatoes, celery, green onions, and sorrel stems in the water in a crock pot until meat is cooked through and tender, seasoning with garlic powder, oregano, black and red pepper, and salt to taste. Remove meat, trim and slice. Add whipping cream, yogurt, and flour to remaining soup, cook until slightly thickened. While roast is cooking, make pesto from sorrel leaves, garlic, nuts, salt, olive oil and cheese. (Put everything in a food processor and process until creamy and spreadable. Coarsely chop sorrel leaves before adding to processor to avoid bridging.) Melt butter in frying pan, brown one side of bread, flip, and brown other side. While the second side is browning, top bread with pesto and sliced roast. Serve with soup and smiles.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces Summarizes Pope Francis Visit to the U S
0
Here are the themes that Bishop Cantú summarized in his post:
Poverty
(To the U.S. Congress) “How much has been done in these first years of the third millennium to raise people out of extreme poverty!”...“Now is the time for…combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.”
(To the U.N. General Assembly)“To enable … real men and women to escape from extreme poverty, we must allow them to be dignified agents of their own destiny.”....Developing nations should not be “subjected to oppressive lending systems which … generate greater poverty, exclusion, and dependence.”
Immigration
(To the U.S. Congress): We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners.”...“Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War.”...Immigrants “travel north in search of a better life…for their loved ones. Is this not what we want for our own children?”
The Environment
(To the U.S. Congress):“I call for a courageous and responsible effort to ‘redirect our steps’, and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity."...“I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play.”
(To the U.N. General Assembly): "A right of the environment’ does exist … because we human beings are part of the environment.”...“Any harm done to the environment … is harm done to humanity.”...“The poorest are those who suffer most … and suffer unjustly from the abuse of the environment.”...“The ecological crisis, and the large-scale destruction of biodiversity, can threaten the very existence of the human species.”...“I am … confident that the Paris Conference on climatic change will secure fundamental and effective agreements.”
Peace
(To the U.S. Congress):“Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering…? [S]imply for money: money that is drenched in blood….”“[I]t is our duty … to stop the arms trade.”
(To the U.N. General Assembly):“There is urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons….”He affirmed the P5+1 Agreement with Iran as “proof of the potential of political good will and of law, exercised with sincerity….”[S]top and … prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities’ and … protect innocent peoples.”...End “social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences: human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation…, slave labour, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism, and international organized crime.”...
In Summary
"In his speech to Congress, Pope Francis lifted up the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12)," said Bishop Cantú. "He noted that “[t]his Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. … In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. … The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.: In many ways, the Golden Rule sums up his approach to foreign policy and global concerns. “Do unto others.…”
Here are the texts of Pope Francis full speeches to Congress and the U.N. General Assembly
The USCCB site has links to several other speeches or homilies by Pope Francis in the U.S., including the one at Curran-Fromhold Penitentiary in Philadelphia. "I am here as a pastor, but above all as a brother, to share your situation and to make it my own. I have come so that we can pray together and offer our God everything that causes us pain, but also everything that gives us hope, so that we can receive from him the power of the resurrection," the pontiff told the audience at the Philadelphia penitentiary.
Here is a video of his interaction with prisoners at the facility.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
More than 100 Cities Sign Urban Food Policy Pact Pledge to Fight Hunger
0
On World Food Day 2015, representatives from more than 100 cities signed the Urban Food Policy Pact, pledging to work together on efforts to develop sustainable food policies. The document was presented to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a ceremony in Milan, Italy. The project, led by the city of Milan, is modeled after an initiative that the Italian city created in 2014 with the assistance of Fundazione Caprilo. The objective is very simple: coordinate all policies dealing with food policy from a host of different perspectives: community, welfare, education, environment, well-being and international relations.Cities will be vital in accomplishing the goal of feeding the world; around 15 percent of the world’s food is now grown in urban areas, and the global proportion of people living in cities will likely reach 65 percent by 2025. The Urban Food Policy Pact (UFPP) will unite city leaders worldwide for the creation of more just and sustainable urban food systems. The pact will address the potential of cities to contribute to food security through urban agriculture. -Text of UFPP
Mayors gathered in Milan to sign pact
Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapa proposed the pact at the Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) Summit in 2014, and the agreement was launched during the Milan Expo 2015, whose theme was “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.”
“Today, at the presence of metropolises from all over the world that are home to 400 million people, we have achieved an ambitious goal: a commitment for the implementation of smart food policies in our cities," said Pisapia. "This strong commitment entails concrete actions at the local level, aimed at facing global emergencies such as hunger, malnutrition and 1,3 million tons of food wasted every year."
Five cities in the United States and two in Canada are party to this agreement: Chicago, New York, Miami, Baltimore, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto. Our neighbors in Latin America include Mexico City, Guatemala City (Guatemala), Tegucigalpa (Honduras), Bogota and Medellin (Colombia), Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo, and Porto Alegre (Brazil). New York City announced its support for the pact on Twitter.
#NYC signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact ! Follow the ceremony live: http://t.co/KMRTIO2iap #UrbanFoodPact @ComuneMi— NYC Intl Affairs (@globalnyc) October 15, 2015The pact includes five core actions:- engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure an enabling environment;
- promote sustainable diets and nutrition;
- ensure equitable access to food;
- promote rural-urban food production and supply; and
- reduce food waste.
#UNFAO hails pledge by more than 100 cities 2fight hunger & improve nutrition http://t.co/fCM4KnNVU7 #UrbanFoodPact pic.twitter.com/yiUgpVc9Wv— FAO Newsroom (@FAOnews) October 15, 2015 While Urban Food Policy Pact currently has a little more than 100 signators, the model is applicable to cities of all sizes. According to StatisticBrain, using datafrom World Atlas, there were 4,416 cities in the world with a population of over 150,000, including Albuquerque. Imagine if every single one of these cities decided to adopt the UFPP principles. Friday, May 27, 2016
Bernalillo County Commission to Host Food Summit on November 16
0
Anyone working with food (farming, processing, selling, redirecting, etc.) is invited to the event, which offers the ability to network with many people involved in the food industry.
Matt Rembe, executive director of Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, and Celina Aldaz-Grife of Celinas Biscochitos are featured speakers.
Organizers are encouraging everyone to register online by Saturday, November 14. Registration is $10 and includes breakfast and lunch (and organizers need a count), Please register by Saturday, November 14. For more information, contact Shawn Perry-Turner by e-mail (spturner@bernco.gov) or call (505) 468-7817
Thursday, May 26, 2016
St Felix Pantry in Rio Rancho Invites You to Annual International Festival on Oct 25
0
To purchase advance ($15) tickets, click on this page. On the right side, locate the Purchase Tickets button, select the ticket quantity, then complete your purchase. The admission fee on the day of the event is $20. Children under 4 are free in all instances.
“The International Festival is going to be a time to memorialize the legacy of the Felician Sisters and the variety of cultures that make up New Mexico’s heritage as the land of enchantment," said Dr. Jack Bunting, president of St. Felix Pantry. "Please come and join us in a joyful celebration of culture, music and entertainment in support of the St. Felix Pantry."
For more information, contact Manuel Casias (mcasias@stfelixpantry.org) or 505-270-1366.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Dominican Leadership Conference Representative at UN to Speak in Albuquerque about Pope Francis Encyclical on the Environment
0
Sister Margaret Mayce, OP, the NGO (non-governmental organization) representative for the Dominican Leadership Conference at the UN, is the featured speaker at the monthly presentation sponsored by the Dominican Ecclesial Institute (D+E+I) in Albuquerque on Sunday, October 25, 1:00 -3:00 PM,UNM Continuing Education Building, 1634 University Blvd. NE (map).
The topic of Sister Margarets address is "Sustaining God’s Creation," continuing with the D+E+Is reflections on Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment Laudato Si.
Sister Margarets work with worldwide governmental representatives on environmental issues will give a broad dimension to the crisis the Pope addresses in his encyclical.
Sister Margaret has also worked on other issues at the UN, including womens rights. Here is a piece that she wrote in February of this year.
If you plan to attend the talk, please RSVP to: contact@deiabq.org or 505-243-0525
Free to D+E+I members; others $10 free-will offering is appreciated.
Aquaponics Doesnt Have to Be Ugly
0
My hubby has been itching to build a new aquaponic garden. He has had an IBC tote cluttering up the garage for several weeks.
The problem is that we are running out of space. We do not have much growable space to begin with. Some of what we do have is shaded. The areas that get enough sun for growing edibles are already occupied by aquaponic gardens or conventional soil beds.
 |
| Little Okra |
He has been eying our swimming pool deck and commenting about the abundance of sun it receives. Of course it does, who puts a swimming pool in the shade? I could see where the hints were going. By the time he said he wanted to put an aquaponic garden by the pool, I had accepted that this was going to happen. I just wanted to minimize the damage.
By damage, I mean that our house is built around the pool area. It is visible from most rooms in the back of the house. I did not want to look at something ugly. Let’s face it, most aquaponic gardens are collections of tubs, barrels, buckets and lots of pipes and tubing. These components are not terribly attractive. While our existing aquaponic gardens are not eyesores, they are not exactly things of beauty. Even though they are full of beautiful growing things, I dont want something like that the focal point of the back of my house.
I was willing to compromise (one of the reasons we have been married for over 30 years) and he was willing to compromise (another reason our marriage has lasted so long). I agreed to the IBC, if he agreed to do some extra work so that it was not an ugly eyesore.
 |
| IBC Aquaponic Garden |
Voila! He clad the system in pressure treated lumber so that it will withstand the elements and from the house, it almost looks like a hot tub! The bottom holds 125 gallons and the top gives us a grow area of roughly 4 feet by 4 feet. Plenty of room for the tilapia and veggies! He fitted it with a bell siphon, but I would like to change it over to a timed flood and drain. I like the way that method performs on the larger systems.
This past week end we began cycling. Because I can’t stand for the fish to die, we are cycling with ammonia. You can read my January post about my experiences cycling with and without fish and come to your own conclusions about cycling with fish.
Just to start, I put in some purple hull peas and Cajun Jewel okra. I already have plenty of okra in our other grow beds and even some in rafts and NFT tubes, so I think we can expect a large crop of okra. Unfortunately, because it is the rainy season, there is very little we can grow. Summer in South Florida is like winter in the Midwest or North, there are very few edible plants that can survive.
Which brings me to an RIP moment. One of the first thunderstorms that came barreling off the Everglades produced a lightening strike that has taken out one of my coconut palm trees. As you can see in this photo, the tree is dying and you can even see the stripe on the tree trunk where the lightening exited.
 |
| Coconut Tree with Lightening Scar |
It appears that the areca palm next to the coconut is a goner as well. The areca only went in after hurricane Wilma. The coconut is over 20 years old. I will miss them. Its like saying good-bye to an old friend.
 |
| Areca with burned fronds |
Do you get attached to your trees?
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Sen Jerry Ortiz y Pino to Keynote Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Conference on November 7
0
 |
| Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino |
State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, a member of the New Mexico Senate since 2005, will be the keynote speaker during lunch. He is currently Chair of the Senate Public Affairs Committee and Chair of the interim Legislative Health and Human Services Committee.
Breakout session topics include advocacy basics, hunger, predatory lending, solitary confinement and more.
To register, send a check for $15 to Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM, 1701 Arroyo Chamiso, Santa Fe, NM, 87505. Include your name, address, phone number and email address.
Or you can email the information to info@lutheranadvocacynm.org or call 505-984-8005 and pay at the door. Please register by Nov. 3.
Monday, May 23, 2016
How I got introduced to Aquaponics
0
Every weekend i used to build something like a DIY, sometimes furniture or sometimes toys. And then on day Chaitanya mailed me a video of a small DIY aquaponics system that was interesting. The following weekend I jumped into action... and set up my first aquaponics unit which was a NFT system.
I already had a 500 liter water tank that was used as a raised pond of sorts, with gold fish, koi, sword tail and a few guppies.
The plan was to create a NFT frame work next to the tank and pump the water from the FT to the pvc pipes. For the drain to to flow back into the FT i raised the pipes above the FT.
A full saturday of shopping at the hardware store, cutting drilling and assembly.
Here i primarily used 4 inch pvc pipe and drilled 2 inch holes. I used some tank valve and some 0.75 inch pipes to create the drain.
I then used some plastic cups i had, drilled a few holes in the bottom and just placed it in the holes.
I had some aqua clay left over from my aquarium that was decommissioned a few weeks before this build, so i used the aqua clay to fill the cups. I then hooked up the water connection and planted the seeds directly into the cups. And 10 days later .... it starts to sprout.
I already had a 500 liter water tank that was used as a raised pond of sorts, with gold fish, koi, sword tail and a few guppies.
 |
| The fish tank or raised pond with fish and water lilly |
A full saturday of shopping at the hardware store, cutting drilling and assembly.
Here i primarily used 4 inch pvc pipe and drilled 2 inch holes. I used some tank valve and some 0.75 inch pipes to create the drain.
I then used some plastic cups i had, drilled a few holes in the bottom and just placed it in the holes.
I had some aqua clay left over from my aquarium that was decommissioned a few weeks before this build, so i used the aqua clay to fill the cups. I then hooked up the water connection and planted the seeds directly into the cups. And 10 days later .... it starts to sprout.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
A Story of Thanksgiving to Share This Holiday Season
0
By Karen Navarro
In November an appeal went out far and wide for help putting together 75-100 Thanksgiving Week food boxes for families who might not have enough food for not only Thanksgiving Day, but the entire week. While the children were out of school, they would not be getting school breakfasts and lunches. This is the story about how a whole lot of individuals, companies and organizations came together to make this happen.
The non-profit organization, Help Equals Hope, was in need of all food stuffs for these boxes, including the most expensive item, turkeys. Co-founders, Laura Burnett, Nancy Hays, Lisa Wilson and Bev Moore, reached out for some major volunteer help.
Two core volunteers, Debbie Trujillo and Debbie Vigil, immediately responded, as did others in the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Community Alliance. Fofo Voltaire offered her large event space, The Event Palace, free for the project, and many sponsors offered their assistance, including the Sandia chapter of Thrivent Financial, Guardian Storage (on Eagle Ranch Rd.), Chick fil-A (at Montgomery/San Mateo), and Smith’s Grocery Store (on Golf Course Rd.).
Other key contributors were the Route 66 Civitans, ABQ Health Partners, Pacific Dental Group, Juliette Applegate, Pegasus Legal Services for Children, Nathan Waites and W.I.N. (What’s Important Now), General Mills, Outcomes, Inc., Sweetheart Day Care (owner, Joan Davis), Donna Montano, Sol Acting Academy, GN Services, Inc., !explora!, Décor & More! Sports, and staff members from New Futures School.
35 Turkeys from St. Pius X
As Thanksgiving week approached, the organizers realized they needed 30+ turkeys. Jeff Turcotte at St. Pius X High School heard about this and the next day the boys’ and girls’ cross-country track teams he coaches rallied the money in three hours to purchase 35 turkeys, with help from members of the girls’ soccer team! When thanked, Jeff responded, "Glad our team could help your great team! Happy Thanksgiving!"
So in the end, what were the results of this community wide effort?
“The clients we delivered food boxes to were crying and so appreciative!”
Food boxes “went to individuals and families who have next to nothing. Some of those people have had their food stamp money cut in recent months from $150 to $20.”
“One grandparent family has four grandchildren and was thrilled. She said she didn’t know how she was going to do Thanksgiving and then I called. Perfect timing!”
Another Help Equals Hope project
Help Equals Hope collects school supplies and backpacks year-round for children in New Mexico whose parents can’t afford to purchase them. Their major school supply drive is in August, but they gather monetary and in-kind donations year-round. Children are referred by school principals, teachers, counselors, social workers, police and sheriff department officers, court personnel, including probation and parole officers, and other professionals working with children throughout New Mexico. If you can help, please email Laura Burnett (laura@helpequalshope.org) or call her at (505) 715-0091. (Check out the Help Equals Hope Facebook Page)
In November an appeal went out far and wide for help putting together 75-100 Thanksgiving Week food boxes for families who might not have enough food for not only Thanksgiving Day, but the entire week. While the children were out of school, they would not be getting school breakfasts and lunches. This is the story about how a whole lot of individuals, companies and organizations came together to make this happen.
Two core volunteers, Debbie Trujillo and Debbie Vigil, immediately responded, as did others in the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Community Alliance. Fofo Voltaire offered her large event space, The Event Palace, free for the project, and many sponsors offered their assistance, including the Sandia chapter of Thrivent Financial, Guardian Storage (on Eagle Ranch Rd.), Chick fil-A (at Montgomery/San Mateo), and Smith’s Grocery Store (on Golf Course Rd.).
Other key contributors were the Route 66 Civitans, ABQ Health Partners, Pacific Dental Group, Juliette Applegate, Pegasus Legal Services for Children, Nathan Waites and W.I.N. (What’s Important Now), General Mills, Outcomes, Inc., Sweetheart Day Care (owner, Joan Davis), Donna Montano, Sol Acting Academy, GN Services, Inc., !explora!, Décor & More! Sports, and staff members from New Futures School.
 |
| Jeff Turocotte |
As Thanksgiving week approached, the organizers realized they needed 30+ turkeys. Jeff Turcotte at St. Pius X High School heard about this and the next day the boys’ and girls’ cross-country track teams he coaches rallied the money in three hours to purchase 35 turkeys, with help from members of the girls’ soccer team! When thanked, Jeff responded, "Glad our team could help your great team! Happy Thanksgiving!"
So in the end, what were the results of this community wide effort?
95 Thanksgiving food boxes with turkeys, stuffing, sweet potatoes, potatoes, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, bread/rolls, chile, olives, rice, cereal, beans, gravy mix, desserts and drink mix.At the direction of Help Equals Hope, a vast network of individuals, organizations and sponsors had all pitched in to feed 95 grateful families in need identified by social workers and other staff at schools, medical facilities and social service agencies, including:
- grandparents raising grandchildren (some with GAPP—Grandparents as Parents Program),
- the families of clients at UNMH health clinics,
- UNMH Psychiatric Center,
- YDI (including Casa Hermosa and Centro de Amor),
- UNM Forensics Case Management,
- MCH Family Outreach,
- Petroglyph Elementary,
- Headstart,
- ten families in To’hajiilee.
“The clients we delivered food boxes to were crying and so appreciative!”
 |
| Debbie Trujillo, Debbie Vigil, Laura Burnett, Nancy Hays |
“One grandparent family has four grandchildren and was thrilled. She said she didn’t know how she was going to do Thanksgiving and then I called. Perfect timing!”
Another Help Equals Hope project
Help Equals Hope collects school supplies and backpacks year-round for children in New Mexico whose parents can’t afford to purchase them. Their major school supply drive is in August, but they gather monetary and in-kind donations year-round. Children are referred by school principals, teachers, counselors, social workers, police and sheriff department officers, court personnel, including probation and parole officers, and other professionals working with children throughout New Mexico. If you can help, please email Laura Burnett (laura@helpequalshope.org) or call her at (505) 715-0091. (Check out the Help Equals Hope Facebook Page)
Friday, May 20, 2016
Best Plants to Grow in an Aquaponics System
0
Best Plants to Grow in an Aquaponics System
There are many plants that grow well in soil less farming. These include vegetables, aquatic plants, flowers and even fruit trees. There are other vegetables that will not work well in an aquaponic system. Root vegetables such as carrots, onions and potatoes should not be used in these systems. You can grow them, but it would not be easy. They need a medium close to soil like sand in order to grow.
So what plants should I grow in my Aquaponic system?
Leafy Green Vegetables
Cabbage and Lettuce are two of the most common grown vegetables in aquaponic systems. They grow really well and are easy to take care of. Other good choices are basil, peas and green beans.Fruit Vegetables
Some of the top vegetables you see in a typical garden are tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers and even corn. They all can be grown successfully in an aquaponics system.
Viney Plants
Plants that produce vines are a great choice for aquaponic systems. They are only rooted in the growth bed and can grow elsewhere leaving more room for the other plants. Examples of these are cucumbers, pumpkins and gords of all shapes and sizes.
Flowers
Finally there are flowers. I have seen greenhouses running aquaponics systems that are full of flowers. You can have a successful business especially in northern areas by selling flowers to local businesses. There are many popular flowers that can be grown, roses are lilies to name just a few. They all will grow fast and well in this type of system.
The trick to being successful with your plants is to try a variety of plants to see which ones will grow well in your climate. Your plants will need a lot of care at first in order for them to really take off. You may want to find some supplements. Seaweed is a very popular supplement that is used in aquaponic systems. The seaweed extract are great for growth, but you need to be careful what you add to your system. An additive that helps your plants grow, might cause issues with your fish or bacteria. Make sure you find additives that will ensure your plants, bacteria and fish all will thrive in your system.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Salmon Farming Here To Stay
0
Report:
KINGSTON, R.I., March 9 (UPI) -- U.S. residents are eating four times as much salmon as they were 20 years ago, most of it imported farmed salmon.
Researchers at the University of Rhode Island found that the value of wild salmon caught in the United States and Canada dropped from $800 million to $300 million between 1980 and 2004, the Providence Journal reported. In 1980, only 2 percent of the salmon sold globally was farmed, which grew to 65 percent in 2004.
"The Great Salmon Run: Competition Between Wild and Farmed Salmon" by Cathy A. Roheim and James Anderson of URI and Gunnar Knapp of the University of Alaska concludes that wild salmon cannot supply the market farmed salmon has created.
Full story Science Daily
Its an important point thats reached when harvesting the wild cannot satisfy the demands of the population. History demostrates that dewindling capture quanities of all wild animals and harvests of wild foods were the main deriving forces that created the need for all types of agriculture.
KINGSTON, R.I., March 9 (UPI) -- U.S. residents are eating four times as much salmon as they were 20 years ago, most of it imported farmed salmon.
Researchers at the University of Rhode Island found that the value of wild salmon caught in the United States and Canada dropped from $800 million to $300 million between 1980 and 2004, the Providence Journal reported. In 1980, only 2 percent of the salmon sold globally was farmed, which grew to 65 percent in 2004.
"The Great Salmon Run: Competition Between Wild and Farmed Salmon" by Cathy A. Roheim and James Anderson of URI and Gunnar Knapp of the University of Alaska concludes that wild salmon cannot supply the market farmed salmon has created.
Full story Science Daily
Its an important point thats reached when harvesting the wild cannot satisfy the demands of the population. History demostrates that dewindling capture quanities of all wild animals and harvests of wild foods were the main deriving forces that created the need for all types of agriculture.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Putting a Face to the Some of the Names of the Girls of Gugulethu
0
I have read about two-thirds of The Born Frees Writing with the Girls of Guguletuh, a book that my friend Kimberly Burge wrote about a group of young women in South Africa who grew up in the post-apartheid South Africa, I have read about Annasuena, Gugu, Ntombi and the other young ladies, and now this video trailer puts faces to the names. This is a wonderful and uplifting book, but also a sober account of the challenges that each of the girls faced. There is also a lot of great historical context in the book. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and Im sure you would too. "Incredible and inspiring, this account belongs in every library and on every bookshelf.” Library Journal (starred review) The book can be found in local independent book stores or ordered online via their Web sites. See Kimberly Burges Web site for more information.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Trimming Root Vegetables Do We Really Have To
0
We made a big pan of roasted root veggies last night. Potatoes, carrots, and onions. Yum. In the middle of judiciously cutting off all the green parts of the skins and all the eyes out of the potatoes, we started to wonder how much of this tedious prep work was really necessary. Everyone knows that green potatoes will murder you in your sleep if you eat them, right? And green-shouldered carrots are probably just as bad? Green-shouldered onions will probably make you cry while they do it.
But what if these silent killers were just getting a bad rap? As it turns out, some are, some, maybe not. Read on--the Homestead Laboratory investigates!
What do you do with the green parts of your root veggies?
But what if these silent killers were just getting a bad rap? As it turns out, some are, some, maybe not. Read on--the Homestead Laboratory investigates!
 |
| For potatoes, the green color comes from chlorophyll, but these guys (the glycoalkaloids solanine and chalconine) are the toxic part. Plants in the nightshade family use them as a defense mechanism, and they ramp up production in response to stress or light. Also in response to light, they ramp up chlorophyll production, which is why the green color is associated with the toxicity. Strictly speaking, however, the green color is not required for high glycoalkaloid content. The glycoalkaloids are also bitter, though, so we can still tell when there is a lot of them without having to have any analytical equipment fancier than a tongue. |
 |
| Next, is there enough of the glycoalkaloids to actually do any damage? The dose commonly cited to cause toxic effects for solanine is 2 mg/kg body weight, or 140 mg for a 70 kg person. The half life in the body for humans is 1-2 months, which works out to a total steady-state body burden of 50 mg if the intake of solanine is 1 mg/day. How many potatoes would you have to eat to take in 1 mg/day of solanine? Normal solanine contents of potato tubers are about 7.5 mg/100 g fresh weight (varying widely across samples). The green parts can have more than 200 mg solanine/100 g fresh weight. For reference, the four potatoes in the picture cumulatively weigh 211 g, and the stripes on the cutting board are 1" wide. So, it wouldnt take much if you ate taters every day. Looks like well definitely continue to trim the green parts, and probably space out our potato eating a little more, too. On the other hand, most researchers seem to consider the eyes as part of the tuber, so if they arent sprouting, it seems theres no need for us to worry about additional solanine coming from the untrimmed eyes. Looks like we can save ourselves a lot of time on eye-trimming. However, if the eyes are sprouting at all, the solanine content in the tuber can go up, down, or stay the same, depending on the variety. One thing is clear, though--the sprouts have the most solanine of all, so well be staying away from them! In that case, well definitely trim more liberally, and probably make a bit of effort to ease off on our potato intake for a while once that dish is gone. Also, some solace for french fry and potato chip lovers--the frying process doubles as a high-temperature extraction (reducing the content of the solanine in the fries) because the glycoalkaloids are somewhat oil-soluble. Probably still would be good to not eat the green ones. |
 |
| Carrots get some green on their shoulders from the sunlight, too, but arent in the nightshade family. So, while the green color still comes from chlorophyll, the glycoalkaloids dont come along with it. The green color does still bring some bitterness, but the molecules that cause it have not been identified (or at least, they hadnt as of 2007, and we couldnt find any more recent papers). Its known that some types of molecules, including terpenoids, can result in a bitter flavor, even in non-greened carrots , but apparently in the green parts, these are not the terpenoids were looking for. One would think theyd also have looked for glycoalkaloids. But the whole carrot plant, including the top, is edible, so the green parts of the carrot roots might be unpalatable, but not likely dangerous. Similarly for onions, the greening that happens on the shoulders of the bulb when exposed to sunlight is due to chlorophyll, but not likely dangerous. It might even be beneficial due to concomitant flavonoid formation! Maybe the carrots are also making flavonoids. Of course, if the green parts of the carrots and onions end up being too bitter for us, chicken taste buds might handle them better. Guten apetit! |
What do you do with the green parts of your root veggies?
Friday, May 13, 2016
We Have a God who Promised to be With Us
0
Bishop Lawrence Reddick, senior bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and presiding prelate of the 8th Episcopal District, offers this New Years blessing and greeting for 2016. Bishop Reddick is a member of the Bread for the World board of directors.
Rev Scott Anderson to Keynote New Mexico Conference of Churches event on Oct 24
0
My ecumenical vocation began when I helped organize a CROP walk as a high school junior. That experience gave me a larger vision of the church beyond our denominational tribalism. Jesus’ prayer for his disciples ‘that all may be one’ (John 17:11) defines ecumenism as both gift and task. -Rev. Scott D. Anderson
Rev. Andersons work in Wisconsin is focused on strengthening the public policy witness of the Council and initiating a new area of ministry focused on equipping congregations to engage the mission field that is now at their doorstep. See his full biography
His talk in Albuquerque is part of the NMMCs Congregational Vitality Series. In addition to a keynote address by Rev. Anderson, the program will feature large group presentations and small group discussions about the practical "nuts and bolts" in our community. The cost is $35 (includes lunch)
And Rev. Anderson will be on hand Friday for an NMCC fundraiser and open house. He will discuss the Wisconsin Council of Churches project with Parker Palmer, “Season of Civility.” This event will take place at the New Mexico Conference of Churches office, 1019 2nd St. NW (map). The cost is $50.00
Click on this link to purchase your tickets online for either the Friday fundraiser or Saturdays event or both.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Archbishop John Wester to Host Immigration Symposium on Feb 24
0
Symposium On Immigration Hosted By Archbishop John Wester
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe has announced the following event to be hosted by Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe: Crossing Borders: A Symposium On Immigration.
This event will be held on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm Our Lady Of Guadalupe Parish 1860 Griegos Road NW Albuquerque, NM 87107 (map)
Archbishop Wester will deliver a keynote address, followed by personal testimonies from immigrants and a panel response from representatives of the Diocesan Office of Social Justice and Respect Life, Diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, Catholic Charities of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The event will include personal testimony, panel response and discussion with Q&A. Please RSVP by contacting Maria Garcia at 505-831-8151 and let her know how many people are attending from your group. This event is free
