Your Congregation's Offering of Letters Will Be Listed Here

Sixteen congregations in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces participated in last year's Offering of Letters, generating 1,128 letters to Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, and Reps. Martin Heinrich, Steve Pearce and Ben Ray Lujan.

We are looking forward to having those same congregations (along with a few others) participate in our 2013 Offering of Letters.  So if you have set a date, please send it to me, and we'll add it in our new formatted calendar. All Saints Lutheran Church in Albuquerque has already set their date for April 14, and I look forward to hearing from all the other congregations.

The calendar also lists other local and national Bread activities and is embedded below, but you would normally find it here.

P.S. Remember that post I wrote a couple of days ago about giving up calendars for Lent? There are always exceptions, right?  

Two Super Souper Bowls (and you don't have to spend $2,475 for a ticket!!)

You have a choice.  You could either buy a Super Bowl ticket for $2,475.  Or for the same price, you could  attend the Souper Bowl in Santa Fe with 99 of our friends and relatives or the one in Albuquerque with 61 companions. Tickets are $25 in Santa Fe and $40 in Albuquerque.

And if you go to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the $2,475 does not include any food.  You'll have to shell our some extra bucks to sample some of the offerings from concession stands at the Superdome. (And it's not as good as the food at the great restaurants outside the stadium in New Orleans).

The Souper Bowls in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, on the other hand, gives you samples of great gourmet food from dozens of local restaurants and benefit The Food Depot and Roadrunner Food Bank.

The Food Depot event, which will be held at the Santa Fe Convention Center (201 West Marcy Ave.) on Saturday, January 26, Noon-2:30 p.m., features food from The Blue Corn Cafe, Jambo Cafe, Azur, and other fine restaurants in the City Different.

In Albuquerque, the event will be held at Roadrunner Food Bank, 5840 Office Blvd NE, 11:00-2:00 p.m., also on January 26.  Dozens of great restaurants will be offering samples, including Standard Diner (Guy Fieri was there!), High Noon Restaurant and Saloon, La Fonda del Bosque La Provence Brasserie and many other wonderful establishments in the Duke City.  This is a special Souper Bowl for Roadrunner.  It's the 20th anniversary. That means you have to celebrate with sweets from Nothing Bundt Cakes or Choco Canyon Artisan Chocoloate.
 
If  you're  looking for football at the Souper Bowls, you're out of luck (although I'm certain you'll see a few people wearing Steeler, Cowboy, Bronco and other NFL jerseys). But since the actual Super Bowl is a week later, it is possible to  still attend one of the New Mexico fundraisers and the Harbowl (Harbaugh Bowl?) between the Falcons and the Ravens (provided you have that extra $2,475, plus air fare and hotel)  Or you can just watch it at home on your flat screen TV.

Where Will You Sit?

Kalen Olsen and Jasmine McBeath from  New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps have put together a great poster for the February 2, Hunger Banquet. A number of organizations, including Bread New Mexico, are cosponsoring this event. Please join us on that Saturday evening!

Remember Those Who Passed Away While Homeless

2012 Albuquerque Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil

 Thursday, December 20th

click here to download flier

Albuquerque will join  communities across the nation to remember those who passed away in 2012 while homeless.

12:00–12:45 p.m. – Gather at the Memorial Wall at Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless (NW corner of Mountain & 1st). Joy Junction will be providing lunch
12:45–1 p.m. – Short ceremony at the AHCH Memorial Wall.
1:00 p.m. – Begin march through downtown to First United Methodist Church
2:00–3:30 p.m. – Memorial Vigil at First United Methodist Church (SE corner of 4th & Lead)

For more information, please contact Lisa at the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness at (505) 217-9570 or lisa-h@nmceh.org.

Buying Local for the Holidays

If buying local is important to you as a New Mexican during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I'd like to share a couple of items with you. First, Farm to Table, based in Santa Fe, provided these recipes made with local ingredients for Thanksgiving side dishes

• Local Brussels's Sprouts with Walnuts & Fennel 
• Baked Local Pumpkin Slices   
• Candied local Sweet Potatoes  
• Local Wild Greens Salad  
• Local Apple Almond Upside-Down Cake 

Farm to Table also provides sources for New Mexico-Raised Turkeys in the Santa Fe area.  Some of these locations have run out of birds, but others might still have them.  In any case, you might want to save this list for future years or for Christmas.

• Pollo Real:  Offered turkeys at their booth at the Santa Fe Farmers market on Saturday, November 11 and Tuesday, November 20.
• Gallina Del Sol: They're already sold out of turkeys, but still have pheasant! Also, order now for your  Christmas Goose! (505) 610-8326.  
• La Montanita Coop: They're selling Embudo Valley Organics' turkeys! Order by phone (505) 984-2852- ask for meat department, or in person at 913 West Alameda, Santa Fe.
• Talus Wind Ranch: They've got only a few turkeys left, so call soon! Also, order now for your holiday turkey or lamb products! (575) 694-0085 or (505) 982-7782.   

Jubilee - A Holiday Celebration of Local Food

I would also like to share is a special event put together by  Delicious New Mexico, Edible Santa Fe,  and the Mixing Bowl Commercial Kitchen, entitled Jubilee - A Holiday Celebration of Local Food.  The event-- which will feature local artisan foods and live music--will be held at the South Valley Economic Development Center (SVEDC) in Albuquerque on Friday, Dec. 7, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.  The event will also mark the grand opening of the SVEDC's La Tiendita store and the first ever Edible Santa Fe Local Heroes Awards Ceremony.

Delicious New Mexico has been at the forefront of promoting local foods in New Mexico.  Read more in The Santa Fe Reporter

Here is more information:

We will celebrate the hard working community of food artisans at the Mixing Bowl Commercial Kitchen. Offering samples of their wares and sensational holiday gifts will be Dolores' New Mexico Chili Products, New Mexico Pie Company, Heidi's Raspberry Jam, Tio Franks, Choco Canyon Chocolates, Urban Orchards, Valley Gurlz Goodz, What the Fudge, Nin's Nutz, Agri-Cultura Network, Salsa La Luz, Chispa Brillante and many others.

Delicious New Mexico will also be celebrating the grand opening of its Tiendita. The Tiendita, managed by Dolores Martinez of Dolores’ Salsa, will showcase Delicious New Mexico producers offering a broad range of high quality local artisanal foods. Gift baskets suggestions are Dolores’ Salsas; red or green, seasoned tostada chips, carne adovada and green chili mix or jams, jelly, granola, chocolates, pies, specialty sauces, mustards, honey, bischochitos, and much more.

The Tiendita will officially open its doors on Friday during Jubilee. A holiday market will be held on December 8 and 9, 2012 from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. Order your holiday gift baskets filled with products from the SVEDC “The Mixing Bowl” and Delicious New Mexico food vendors.  Facebook Page

Radical Christian Life Webcast in Albuquerque Rescheduled for January

Because of complications in New York caused by Hurricane Sandy, the Trinity Institute webcast of the Radical Life Conference has been postponed.  The conference itself will be held on Dec. 7-9 (instead of the original dates of Nov. 9-11). Here's a note from the organizers in New York:

We are fortunate and grateful that Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, will be able to be with us on these new dates. Father Richard Rohr, OFM, will participate in a different way. He will preach and teach at Trinity on November 11, and his talk and sermon will be available on the conference website.

Organizers in Albuquerque had planned to show the taped webcast on Saturday, Nov. 17.  Because of the postponement of the actual conference in New York, the Albuquerque event has been rescheduled to Saturday, January 12, at the Bosque Center (6400 Coors Boulevard NW). The original event locally had been scheduled for St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. The time will probably be the same (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.--but please check back for confirmation)

"In January we will feature the same great speaker, Sr. Joan Chittister, reflection groups focusing on linking Joan Chittister's words with daily life and scripture, and time for prayer, meditation and worship," said local organizer Rev.Susan Allison-Hatch

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Registration Information for Albuquerque Webcast

If you would like to participate in the Albuquerque webcast on Saturday, January 12, 2013, please register by sending the following information along with a check for $30 to the address listed below.  The new deadline in January 7.

Name
Email Address
Phone
Dietary Restrictions
Childcare Needs

Cost is $30, payable to St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. Scholarship Assistance is available. For more information, please contact Kathryn Ravenwood at 345.8147 or Rev. Allison-Hatch, sahcdsp@yahoo.com

St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church

601 Montaño Rd NW

Albuquerque, NM 87107

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By the way, the Trinity Institutute's conferences for last year and other recent years are available online.

Free Screening of Documentary Solar Mamas in Albuquerque

Solar Mamas

Directed By Jehane Noujaim

FREE Public Screening

Thursday, November 15

KiMo Theatre
423 Central Ave NW 

Albuquerque

7:00 - 9:00 PM
Doors Open at 6:30 PM

(Please stay for an interactive discussion following the screening)

The documentary Solar Mamas tells the story of Rafea - a 30-year-old Jordanian mother of four - who is traveling outside of her village for the first time to attend a solar engineering program at India's Barefoot College. She will join poor women like her from Guatemala, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Colombia to learn concrete skills to change their communities.

Barefoot College was founded by Sanjit "Bunker" Roy to provide knowledge and training to the rural poor to empower them to make their communities self-reliant and sustainable.

Read more about producer and director Jehane Noujaim

Here is a trailer of the documentary, a special presentation of the PBS program Independent Lens

For more information about the free screening visit New Mexico PBS or call 505-277-2121

Run from Malaria Race in Albuquerque Next Saturday

Although great progress has been made in the fight against malaria, the goal of eradicating this disease has not yet been reached. Central United Methodist Churh, Athletes Edge store, and the Albuquerque Road Runners are doing their part to help the global community to reach their goal by hosting the Second Annual 5K Walk/Run from Malaria on  Saturday, November 10, at 9:00 A.M, at Albuquerque Academy, 6400 Wyoming NE. You can either run or walk the five kilometers  Register here

If you cannot participate in this event, you can donate to the Imagine No Malaria campaign at any time. Join with volunteers and supporters of this organization as they work to bring an end to this disease and transform the world.

UNM Lecture Series: Food and Culture Around the World

Food truck in Napa, CA Photo by Carlos Navarro

The International Studies Institute (College of Arts & Sciences) at the University of New Mexico will be hosting a very interesting lecture series this coming week, entitled Food &Culture around the Globe.  

The series, which features presentations on various aspects about food and culture, is free and open to the public. All the lectures will take place in Dane Smith Hall (DSH).

Here is the schedule: 

Monday, October 29, 12:00 pm (DSH 123)

“Food and Everyday Life in the Postsocialist World,” Melissa Caldwell, Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director of the Multi-Campus Research Program on Studies of Food and the Body, University of California Santa Cruz

Tuesday, October 30, 5:00 pm (DSH 125)

“Indian Ocean Cuisine?" On the Limits of National Cultures,” Krishnendu Ray, Associate Professor of Food Studies and Chair of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies & Public Health, New York University

Wednesday, October 31, 12:00 pm (DSH 123)

“Cannabis and/as Food: Excavating Food–Medicine–Drug Linkages in the Atlantic World,” Chris Duvall, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of New Mexico

Thursday, November 1, 5:00 pm (DSH 229)

“Belize and the Globalization of Food in the 19th Century,” Richard Wilk, Provost’s Professor of Anthropology and Program Director for Food Studies, Indiana University

Friday, November 2, 12:00 pm (DSH 125)

“Food and Nationalism in Japanese Food Comics,” Lorie Brau, Associate Professor of Japanese and Program Director for Asian Studies, University of New Mexico

Lecture Series Co-Sponsors: Anthropology, Foreign Languages & Literatures, Geography & Environmental Studies, History, Latin American & Iberian Institute, National Security Studies Program.

Next Wednesday: A Discussion on How We Get Food to Our Table

The Social Justice and Bread & Blessings ministries of Immaculate Conception Parish would like to invite you to join us for a simple meal and presentation for Food Day, Wednesday, Oct. 24th after the 5:30pm mass.  The church is located at 619 Copper in downtown Albuquerque.

Learn about the myths of industrialized foods and participate in a discussion about how we can make a difference for farmers and hungry people both here and abroad. 

N.M. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Invites You to Advocacy Conference on November 17

By November 17, we will know who will be the President of the United States and who will be representing us in the U.S. Congress and in the State Legislature in Santa Fe.  So, attending a conference entitled Advocacy: Making a Difference is very appropriate.  The conference , to be held at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 9100 Menaul NE, is sponsored by the New Mexico Lutheran Advocacy Ministry (LAM). The conference will take only half of  that Saturday, November 17, (9:00-1:00 p.m.),  leaving you free to enjoy a cool fall afternoon in Albuquerque.

In keeping with the theme of the conference, there will be workshops with titles like NM Legislature 101, Advocacy Basics, Hunger, and much more. 

Sen. Linda Lopez

And the keynote speaker is New Mexico State Sen. Linda Lopez, who has represented Senate District 11 (the South Valley in Albuquerque/Bernalillo County) since 1997.   Sen. Lopez serves on the Health and Human Services Committee and is chair of the Rules Committee.

"Plan now to attend and learn more about advocating for our many neighbors living in poverty," said LAM director Ruth Hoffman.

The cost of attending the conference is a modest $15, including lunch. To register or for more information, send an email to lutheranadvocacy@yahoo.com or call 505.984.8005. Registration deadline: November 13.

On Election Eve, Join University Students, Community Volunteers in Silver City for An Exercise in Hunger Awareness

Do you know why November 5 is important? Of course, it's the day before we go to the polls to cast our votes for the President of the United States and our congressional representatives (and for local officials, constitutional amendments and bonds).   But November 5 is also an important day in Silver City.

click on image to enlarge

On this date, the students in the Social Inequality and Environmental Sociology classes at Western New Mexico University and community volunteers will be hosting the fourth annual Hunger for Knowledge Dinner.  Just as it has been in recent years, this event is a fundraiser for the Volunteer Center of Grant County.  In 2010,  local author Sherman Apt Russell, who wrote Hunger: An Unnatural History, was a keynote speaker.

Even if the event were just a fundraiser for the Volunteer Center center, it would be extremely worthwhile for you to attend.  The center offers many great programs, including community gardens, an intergenerational lunch program, a weekend backpack program for children, and much more.

But the dinner is more than a fundraising activity; it is an exercise in awareness. "The event is intended to be educational and encourage participants and diners to think critically about their food, their social positions, and the realities of hunger and poverty in our county, state, and nation," said Becca Anderson, executive assistant at the center.

Tickets for the dinner, which will be held at the Silver City Women's Club, 411 Silver Heights Blvd., 5:30-7:30 p.m. are $15.00 per person.  But if you plan to go, hurry and get your ticket because space is limited to 100 seats.

New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps Celebrates World Food Day (Twice!)

Exactly six days from today is when the the global community observes World Food Day. The official global commemoration is organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization,  And a number of organizations like The World Food Programme, Earth Box Gardens, Universities Fighting World Hunger, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, World Food Day USA, Oxfam America, and The ONE Campaign have planned some sort of activity. Some organizations are working together on an activity or campaign.

But we all know that for a commemoration to be relevant to a community, there has to be a strong local connection.  Later this week, I'll post information about a ONE event in Nashville.  Today, it's all about Albuquerque and the activities planned by New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps.  There are two separate actions, one on World Food Day, October 16, and the other on Saturday, October 27. 
 
The first activity is called New Mexico Eats Right.  Here is their pitch (click on the link to learn more).

Want to change the world…by eating great food?!

Then join Oxfam America on World Food Day at one of 13 participating restaurants in Albuquerque. Whether you're in the mood for pad thai or pizza on Tuesday, October 16th, we need your support! Eating at one of the participating restaurants shows you care, and also makes you part of a global movement to decrease poverty and hunger. The following restaurants have signed on because they are already working to improve the food system and believe in the GROW Method. Join others worldwide in our GROW efforts to save food, cook smart, eat seasonally, support small-scale farmers, and eat a little less meat. Don't forget to visit one (or more!) of the following restaurants on October 16th:
• Artichoke Cafe
• Baileys on the Beach
• Desert Fish
• Farina
• Golden Crown Panaderia
• Jennifer James 101
• Nob Hill Bar and Grill
• Rasoi
• Richard's Mexican
• Sky Garden Market
• Slate Street Cafe
• Thai Cuisine ii
• Tiles of Old Santa Fe.
 
Jasmine McBeath, editor of the NM Oxfam Action Corps blog, wrote a great piece on Richard's Mexican Restauarant.  While all of these restaurants are commemorating World Food Day, World Food Day USA is featuring a partnership between Oxfam and  Grabwithus at Slate Street Cafe.  Click here for details

Community Dinner
But we all know that most meals around the world are not eaten at restaurants, but at home. Which brings me to the second event hosted by New Mexico Action Corps and other organizations on Saturday, Oct. 27, at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church, 425 University Blvd. NE, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

This community dinner will feature a meal made entirely with fresh, local ingredients.

And there will be food for the mind too. There will be a discussion on strategies to address local, national and global hunger, including Oxfam's GROW Campaign..

Greg Gould, an Albuquerque-based foodologist, is a featured guest speaker.


I'm sure we'll have more information on this later.  In the meantime, you can RSVP on the Facebook page created especially for this event.

Here is why August 25 is Important

You should put a big check mark on your calendar on Saturday, August 25.  Here's why. You have an opportunity to help to great organizations: Habitat for Humanity and Project Share, which are hosting a fundraiser that day.  (The fundraiser for Habitat also happens on Sunday).

Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian Church will the site of the 15th Annual Chile Festival  to benefit Habitat for Humanity. This popular community gathering offers visitors great entertainment, wonderful arts and crafts, hot chile, delicious food, and an exciting silent auction. 

Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian Church is located on (1801 Montaño Rd. near Rio Grande Blvd. in Albuquerque)

Chile Festival features green chile roasting

GENERAL ADMISSION IS FREE! The organizers invite you to join them from 9-4 on Saturday and 11-4 on Sunday.

Harvest Bake Sale Benefits Project Share

Also on August 25, Project Share invites you to a Harvest and Bake Sale from 10 am until 2:00 pm. The sale will be held at the Project Share Garden, 1515 Yale SE

Project Share has provided a warm meal and safe environment to 150 to 200 people six days a week since the early 1980s.  The organization also offers clothing and other items.  Volunteers are welcomed.

And as long are you're marking your calendars, here's another Project Share fundraiser coming in September.

Full Hearts Empty Bowls

Date: Sunday, September 16, 2012

Time:11am - 2pm

Location:  Project Share, 1515 Yale SE

For just $25, this unique benefit  includes the sale of extraordinary bowls/pottery donated by New Mexico’s talented potters (you receive a $10 coupon towards pottery with your $25 admission!), eating delicious soups, breads and desserts from some of Albuquerque's finest restaurants, stores and bakeries, while listening to the  fantastic live local entertainment of The Alpha Blue Trio and Chris Dracup. There is also a "to die for" silent auction and lots of other fun surprises waiting for you at this event. Do NOT miss it this year!

Click here (and scroll to the bottom of the page)  to buy tickets online  

A Play About Dorothy Day Coming to Albuquerque

Casa de las Comunidades Catholic Worker House invites you to Haunted by God: The Life of Dorothy Day, an acclaimed play about the co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, who spent 47 years caring for the poor and leading the Catholic Church to a more active concern for the needy in U.S. society. 

Hailed as "a moving, magnificent one-woman show," this dramatic portrait, featuring Still Point Founding Director Lisa Wagner-Carollo, follows Dorothy from her days as a 17 year-old Green-wich Village bohemian, through her middle years as a social activist and journalist to her later years as an elderly, wise leader.

Date: Sunday, Oct 14, 2012
Time: 2:00pm

St. Pius Fine Arts Building
5301 St. Josephs Dr NW

Call for Tickets:  505 265 2371

Ticket Price: $15

Co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Social Justice & Respect Life

Presentation: Former Adversaries Join Forces to Grow Fair-Trade Coffee in Nicaragua

Patrick Staib, Ph.D will present how former adversaries have organized into farmer cooperatives to access better markets and preserve ecosystems. The talk will take place on Monday, July 30, 6:45-8:30 p.m. at the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, 202 Harvard Dr. SE

Dr. Steib will use data and firsthand accounts to illustrate what organic farming and Fair Trade has done and could do to impact the troubling social, economic, and environmental scenario in present-day rural Nicaragua. This is a presentation is based on six years of ethnographic research in the former battlegrounds of the Contra War, Las Segovias de Nicaragua. 

The talk is free, but free-will donations will be accepted.

A Sustainable Way to Feed Nine Billion People by 2050

The Santa Fe-based non-profit organization Quivira Coalition has planned a very interesting conference in Albuquerque this coming November.The conference-which will look at food production, sustainability, environmental protection and other related issues--has a very intriguing title: How to Feed Nine Billion People From the Ground Up:  Soil, Seeds, Water, Plants, Livestock, Forests, Organics, and People  

Here is a description:

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, global human population is projected to reach nine billion by 2050, which means food production will need to expand by 70% to keep up. Fulfilling this demand will place unprecedented pressure on ecosystems, including the planet’s grasslands, especially as competition grows for scarce natural resources.

How to meet this daunting challenge while ensuring the health of land, water, wildlife and people will be one of the great tasks of the 21st century.

In this conference, we will explore a variety of innovative practices that are already successfully intensifying food production while preserving, maintaining, and restoring the natural world. 

Speakers

So if you're like me, you are already very intrigued about this broad and comprehensive approach to this issue.  Organizers have asked a group of experts to offer their perspectives, including keynote speaker Gus Speth, award winning author and former presidential advisor. Click here to see the full line-up of speakers, who will discuss each of the elements: plants, soil, organics, livestock, seeds, and water.

 

More About the Conference

The conference will go from Wednesday,Nov. 14, to Friday, Nov. 16, at the Embassy Suites Hotel near I-25 and Mountain Rd. in Albuquerque. You can go one, two or three days. Here is the fee structure.  And here is a partial schedule.  Check on the conference site for updates and more information.

Catholic Relief Services Regional Director for East Africa to Speak in Albuquerque

Water system in Ethopia (from readingeagle.com)

On Monday, July 9, David Orth Moore, regional director of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for East Africa, will speak in Albuquerque about current realities in the region (including hunger, poverty, and famine). 

Mr. Orth Moore is is responsible for regional oversight of CRS programs in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as for CRS support to partner agencies in Somalia.  He has led the regional office for East Africa since 2008.  Read article

 

The CRS regional director will also speak about the role Catholics in the United States have played in helping CRS fulfill its mission around the world. 

Mr. Orth Moore has connection to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.  From 1998-2002 he worked in Albuquerque as Assistant Director for Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico. Born and raised in Reading, Penn., he holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Juniata College in Huntington, Penn., a master’s degree in Development Management from the American University in Washington, D.C. 

 

When: Monday, July 9, 2012, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. 

Where: Catholic Center, Sandia Room 4000 St. Joseph’s Place NW, Albuquerque NM

Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Office of Social Justice and Respect  Life and Catholic Relief Services.  Fair Trade coffee will be served, along with donuts.  For more information, contact Anne Avellone, justice@archdiosf.org or 505-831-8167

Chef Knockout Returns for Round 5

Perhaps you've seen a cooking competition on The Food Network called Iron Chef.  I must confess that I've only seen bits and pieces of the program while grazing with my remote.  These types of competitions can be quite fun if you're watching them live. And you have a chance to do so here in Albuquerque.  This is the fifth year that Chef Knockout will be held in Albuquerque. (The above video is from Round 3 in 2010)

The event, sponsored by Albuquerque The Magazine and a handful of other sponsors will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Sunday, June 3, Noon to 5:00 p.m.  Tickets are only $25. By now you probably know that this competition is a benefit for The Storehouse, New Mexico’s largest food pantry which has been providing needy Albuquerqueans with food and clothing since 1969.

 

A day of fun and food, unlike any event Albuquerque has ever seen! Last year eight restaurants met the challenge in this “Iron Chef-style” competition, and this year will be even bigger with more food, more drinks and more fun! The Main Event features 8 restaurants in four head-to-head cooking challenges. Winners from last year will return to defend their crown in Chef Knockout 2012 .   

Tickets are available at Sandia Area Federal Credit Union, All local Albertson's Stores, and online on The Storehouse Web site.

The New Mexico Conference of Churches 867-2956, also has a limited number of tickets. 

A Study on the Economics and Sustainability of 'Fair Trade' and 'Organic' Certification

Fair Trade Coffee from Haiti

I a firm and unwavering supporter of fair trade.  The scheme allows growers to receive a fair return for their products, whether it's coffee, cocoa, textiles or handicrafts.   I also support the concept of organic production, which reduces reliance on harmful herbicides and pesticides.

Both the fair trade and organic schemes must go through the certification process to ensure that these practices are indeed being followed.  This certification is conducted to reassure the consumer in the U.S. or Europe.  But what about the growers? Are there other factors besides increased income that play into their agricultural decisions?

Brad Barham,a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin, conducted a study among coffee growers in Peru and southern Mexico to determine the economic effects and sustainability of certification.  Prof Barham, who is co-director of the Program on Agricultural Technology studies at UW, will present the results of his studies here at the University of New Mexico this coming Friday.  Here are the details:

The Economic Effects and Sustainability of Certified
Coffee Schemes:
Evidence from Mexico and Peru

Brad Barham Professor, Agricultural and Applied Economics Co-Director, Program on Agricultural Technology Studies University of Wisconsin, Madison 

Friday, April 20, 2012 Economics, Room 1052

2:30-3:30 p.m.  

Coffee will be served 

You probably want to know more about the study before you attend.  Here is a synopsis from ScienceDirect com of a piece that Prof. Barkham co-wrote with Jeremy Weber of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.

Representative grower data from Mexico and Peru, two global leaders in certified coffee, show that yields rather than price premiums are most important for increasing net cash returns for coffee growers. To the extent that any existing certification norm limits yield improvements, they may create “traps” for marginal low intensity growers, especially if price premiums are small and decrease over time with more competition. By contrast, to the extent that enhancing yields and productivity is critical to the well-being of coffee growing households, any “sustainability” initiative must consider embracing advances in geographically appropriate best management practices. We close by considering the implications of the limits of our current knowledge on what is “sustainable” to advancing the dialogue on what comes next for certification schemes.

And from a discussion in Economics Applied..

Coffee growers must earn competitive returns from participating in certification programs, which promote principles like environmental stewardship, or participation will decline. While the promise of higher prices for certified coffee often motivates growers to participate initially, are price premiums the main determinant of grower profitability? What are the cost and benefits of organic certification standards that prohibit inorganic fertilizers, in contrast to other standards like that used by Rainforest Alliance. We find that...

• Yields  (pounds of coffee per acre) are more important for grower profitability than price premiums from selling certified coffee. 
• One project in Peru increased yields and profitability substantially by teaching growers better practices, like when and how much to fertilizer  and how to systematically prune coffee plants. (Read about efforts by the Peruvian National Coffee board to expand the practices throughout Peru: Propuesta de Incremento de Productividad para la Caficultura Peruana). 
• The prohibition of inorganic fertilizer by organic standards can, in some areas, limit the yields and returns that growers can earn from coffee. The environmental and health benefits of the prohibition are unclear.

Read more discussion about this issue in Economics Applied

Read  Full Article in ScienceDirect
 
You probably have a lot of questions and might need some clarification.  If you live in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, here is your opportunity to interact with Prof. Barham.