To Festive, Eco-friendly, and Fun Holidays!

By Kathy Chavez

Are you down to the wire and looking for ideas to make your holiday or New Years festive, meaningful, and also environmentally friendly? Spend a few hours at home cleaning out your closets and drawers. That fancy old party dress might make the perfect gift for a creative child who enjoys dress up. The bracelet sitting in the drawer could become a family keepsake for a young or old relative. For the person that truly has everything, get them a goat, a chicken, or even some manure for a person in need from the Oxfam unwrapped online store. (It's not too late, you can still go and print out their downloadable card at check out!) And don't forget that your time can be the most valuable present you can give someone. Invite a friend to join you for shopping, and running errands may become a time-honored tradition.

If it's too much of a hassle to bake all your holiday treats, have a cookie exchange or invite friends over for a baking or tamale making party. If you want to throw a party and don’t have time to do it all then host a potluck or white elephant party. White elephant parties are a personal favorite because they provide a way to reuse and recycle those perfect items that could be better used elsewhere. Wrap packages in colorful dish towels, newspaper, or decorate brown paper bags with pictures from old calendars or magazines. Wildlife calendars and magazines are a hit with my family and friends.

My best Christmas memories are of making tamales with my mother while my sister decorated the tree. Our trees were live ones, since my dad planted them on our property. The oldest one is twenty five years old and over ten feet tall. However, if a live tree is hard to come by, try making one out recycled materials such as old ribbon, cardboard, gift cards, and greeting cards. Here are some other fun ideas for creative tree variations.

Wherever you may be this holiday season, we wish you joy, peace, and lots of great food!
--Your New Mexico Oxfamily :)

Don't Forget to Love Your Leftovers After Thanksgiving (and always...)

By Kathy Chavez

The days are getting colder and the nights are longer, and many of us are getting ready to celebrate with friends and family. My favorite part of the holidays every year is eating and sharing my leftovers.


Growing up we cherished our food and would never throw any of it away. My mother taught us that wasting food was wrong with so many people in the world going hungry. My mother was right--food is too precious to waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency one is six Americans lacks a secure food supply and suffers from hunger. And as much as 40% of food in the U.S. goes uneaten. According to estimates we are throwing out $165 billion in wasted food every year. Just 15% of this wasted food would be enough to feed more than 25 million Americans every year.

If that's not reason enough to save food, think of all the great dishes you can make with leftovers. My favorite is the simple sandwich. Take some meat and place it between two slices of bread or biscuits. You can always add chile, stuffing, mashed potatoes or cranberry sauce. If you don’t eat meat you can make it with tofu or hummus. Other favorites are soup, tacos, and Shepherd's pie. One very easy dish that comes to mind is mashed potato pile up. Take mashed potatoes (either sweet or white) and put them in a bowl, add vegetables, meat, beans, gravy or chile and gently mix them. Voila!


We wish you a safe and happy winter season full of leftovers. My best advice is to always wash your hands before handling food and do your best not to waste anything. If you can't eat it all, send food home with friends, or invite them over for leftovers.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Urge Pepsi to Stop Land Grabs

By Carlos Navarro, from Bread New Mexico Blog:

New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps Volunteers Urge Pepsi to Stop Land Grabs

Jasmine McBeath, Amanda Dezan, Sr. Joan Brown, Kathy Chavez

Oxfam is in the midst of a sweet campaign, and the New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps volunteers are taking part in a big way. The campaign, entitled Behind the Brands, is about corporate social responsibility and fair treatment for farmers and landholders in countries around the world.

Sugarcane is an important example. "As global demand for sugar increases, so does the rush for land to grow it. Around the world poor farmers are being kicked off their land to grow sugar, leaving them hungry and homeless," said Oxfam.

That's why the organization is holding Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Associated British Foods and dozens of other companies accountable. And that's why local volunteers from New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps recently went to the local Pepsi facility to hold a yellow sign that said Caution: Ingredients May Cause Land Grabs on one side and has a Pepsi bottle on the back with the names of people  who signed a petition to Pepsi  The petitions were then delivered to people inside.

So how much difference does it make for a handful of volunteers in Albuquerque to deliver petitions to a small bottling plant?  Here's what Oxfam says: "Know that you are part of a larger campaign where 250,000 people have signed the petition to tell Coke, Pepsi and ABF to keep farmers on their land."

Coke has already agreed to work with Oxfam. "Yay!!!, says New Mexico Oxfam leader Jasmine McBeath, "so now we're putting the pressure on Pepsi!"

Beyond Sugarcane
 But this campaign is more than just about sugarcane, as corporations are depriving people around the world from many other resources.

 "In Pakistan, rural c ommunities say Nestlé is bottling and selling valuable groundwater near villages that can‟t afford clean water. In 2009, Kraft was accused of purchasing beef from Brazilian suppliers linked to cutting down trees in the Amazon rain forest in order to graze cattle.And today, Coca - Cola is facing allegations of child labor in its supply chain in the Philippines. Sadly, these charges are not anomalies. For more than 100 years, the world's most powerful food and beverage companies have relied on cheap land and labor to produce inexpensive products and huge profits. But these profits have often come at the cost of the environment and local communities around the world, and have contributed to a food system in crisis."  Oxfam tells you more in a briefing paper.  

How to Get Involved
Find out how prominent companies rate in their dealings with small farmers and rural communities. Oxfam 

"Use Facebook and Twitter to nudge your favorite brands. Contact the CEO personally and tell them what needs to change. We’ll be constantly updating the scorecard so you can see the impact you’re having."

In Albuquerque, contact Jasmine McBeath or Kathy Chavez if you want to link to local activities. (nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com).

Click here to find out how to connect with Oxfam Action Corps volunteers in other communities who are working on the Behind the Brands campaign or contact Oxfam America staff.

NM Celebrates World Food Day by Standing with Farmers Here and Abroad

Another World Food Day has come and gone, and the NM Oxfam Action Corps was honored to join groups across the world working to end hunger. It’s inspiring to know we’re part of a global movement, with major events sponsored by Oxfam affiliates in over 16 countries. In Brazil, 10,000 signatures were delivered to Coca Cola, Pepsi, and ABF while in Spain there was an international meeting of women leaders on the right to food and land. Meanwhile, Mexico held a bike tour for food security, Japan hosted a dinner with celebrity chefs, and Nigeria launched a new song on the Maputo Declaration. Oxfam chapters and partners across the United States also participated by hosting 1,000 World Food Day Dinners.  

Like last year, the NM Oxfam Action Corps put on a community dinner to celebrate and discuss ways to make our food system more just. We partnered with six different nonprofits, received donations from almost twenty farms, and put a dozen volunteers to work in shifts from 10am to 10pm. The event was a community effort in every way, but above all I’d like to express my gratitude for the farmers from the Downtown Growers Market. We asked for leftover produce from the Saturday market to make the meal, and almost all the farmers present chipped in with whatever they could give. By noon my trunk was overflowing with produce and looked like an homage to fall with all the eggplant, squash, pumpkins, peppers, sweet potatoes, greens and tomatoes.

      When I arrived at the church with the last of the donations, the first volunteer shift was already hard at work. From the minute I walked into the building, I could sense the energy and warmth. Everyone was hard at work chopping, coring, stirring, and yet smiling. Even though I’ve worked with Kathy for over a year now, I’m still in awe of her ability to create dishes without a recipe, delegate tasks with ease, and keep everyone engaged and having a good time.

The energy and enthusiasm was contagious, and still at full force when our dinner guests arrived.  With over 75 attendees, the room was at capacity. In attendance were farmers, nonprofit leaders, students, retirees, and families, all adding their diverse voices to the discussion. It was very gratifying to see everyone enjoying the food and we couldn't have asked for better speakers.

Cecilia Rosacker from Cecilia’s Organics spoke first about her experience growing up on a farm and making do with what they had. She then shared stories about passing traditions down to her children, as she now operates her own farm. In addition to farming, Ms. Rosacker directs the Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust. The land trust is comprised of farmers that help protect New Mexico's natural resources and preserve working farms, ranches, wildlife habitat, and open space. A leader in the farming community, Ms. Rosacker shared about the struggles with zoning and the fight to preserve farmers’ land in New Mexico. She asked people to join the cause, and presented her case with a compelling mix of humor, warmth, and resolve.

Henry Rael, Executive Director of Valle Encantado, picked up where Ms. Rosacker left off by saying he had a completely different experience growing up. As he explained it, he grew up “a product of the broken food system.” However, as an adult, he considered the countless empty lots with broken glass and trash in his neighborhood and began to wonder about ways to rejuvenate the land.  With that idea, Valle Encantado was born, a community organization the promotes sustainable development in the South Valley. A grant provided tools, training, and farming instruction to empower locals to become farmers. To make the business profitable, they partnered with other farms in the area to form the Agricultura Network. Mr. Rael explained how one farm couldn't produce enough for restaurants or schools, but together they made deals such as supplying all the lettuce to Albuquerque Public Schools. Mr. Rael was also a compelling and inspiring speaker, and I left wanting to know more.    

From protecting working farms to reinvigorating previous farmland, it was inspiring to hear how people from opposite backgrounds are working towards the same mission from different angles. Their stories from New Mexico also related well to the global scene where farmers are being unjustly forced from their land. Kathy and I explained how land grabs are land deals that often force farmers from their land, deals that happen without the free, prior, and informed consent of communities.

Attendees learned that Oxfam's research revealed how Coke, Pepsi, and Associated British Foods are sourcing from sugar companies that 'grab land.' In addition to evicting farmers from their homes, the majority of foreign investors grow crops for export instead of feeding local communities. This is a big concern since two thirds of these agricultural deals occur in countries with serious hunger problems.

At the end of the dinner, we asked people to take action here in New Mexico. Recommendations included shopping at the Growers Market and places that source local, following the GROW Method, and supporting causes and organizations like Valle Encantado and the Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust that are moving our food system in the right direction. We also stressed the importance of supporting farmers worldwide. People were inspired to take action right then and there by signing the petition, posing for photos with our Stop Land Grabs Sign, and adding their voice to the cause through social media.  (Want to help? Add your name to the petition here. 250,000 have already signed and in the few weeks since our dinner Coke has agreed to change their policies!) Everyone left with a full stomach and a greater understanding of how our actions can support farmers here and abroad.

   

I didn't know it was possible to top last year's dinner, but this year's event went above and beyond. I couldn't have asked for a better night, and have countless people to thank. I owe a great deal to so many people and groups, but I’d like to especially recognize Kathy Chavez, who took charge in the kitchen and was a fantastic coordinator and chef. 

By Jasmine McBeath

THANK YOU!

Donors

Amyo Farms

Bee’s Honey

Brown Family Farm

Bosque Baking Company

Chispas Farm

Erda Gardens

Granja Para Mañana

Harvest Gifts

Los Jardines de Moktezuma

Macias Farm

Magos Farm

Montoya Farms

Red Tractor Farm

St. Thomas of Canterbury Church

Sunflower Sprouts

Tortilleria Cuauhtemoc

Valle Encantado

Wagners Farm

Vida Verde

Collaborators

Bread for the World

Community Bricolage

Food Corps

Foodology

Nourish International

Oxfam Action Corps

Valle Encantado

Community Chef

Kathy Chavez

Guest Speakers

Cecilia Rosacker

Henry Rael

Organizers

Kathy Chavez

Jasmine McBeath

Volunteers

Ashton
Kendall
Kim
Luis
Margo
Natalie
Pat
Paulina
Pauline
Rochelle
Russell
Ryan
Sonia
Tyler

Celebrate World Food Day and Eat Drink Local Month!

We've found a new partner with the amazing Edible Santa Fe. For the whole month of October, Edible asks New Mexicans to buy local. Their description reads, "Partners from every part of our local food system urge you to dine out, cook in, and celebrate the ingredients, landscape, and people behind our plates through a month’s worth of events, restaurant meals, and plenty of cooking and drinking at home." The NM Oxfam Action Corps couldn't be more on board. 

When small-scale farmers thrive, their local communities thrive too. This is fantastic news locally, and the ramifications go global. Whether we're talking about growing, selling, preparing or eating food, we are all interconnected. The choices we make every day--at the grocery store, in the kitchen, are more powerful than we might think. Simple things like the GROW Method (saving food, conserving energy, shopping seasonally, eating a little less meat, and supporting small-scale farmers) go a long way. So fight world hunger starting at your kitchen table. 

Celebrate the month of Eat Drink Local by hosting a meal, sharing recipes, and discussing the GROW Method. Throughout New Mexico, Oxfam aims to inspire meals that foster conversations about where food comes from, ways we can make the food system more just, and how we can protect farmers and farmland around the world. We encourage these conversations every year during the month of October to celebrate World Food Day and are super excited to participate this year in New Mexico's first Eat Drink Local Month. Click here to order free materials to host your own World Food Day Dinner. 

If you prefer to eat out, we have the solution for you. Part of Edible's celebration includes the Moveable Feast, where 40 restaurants throughout the state are serving specials or dinners made with at least 60 percent local ingredients. The following restaurants are featuring World Food Day Dinners on Wednesday, October 16th, and therefore will be distributing Oxfam materials. Eating at these restaurants shows you care, and also makes you part of a global movement to decrease poverty and hunger.   

Participating Restaurants:

Artichoke Café

Farina Pizzeria

*Flying Star

*Green House Bistro

Jennifer James 101

*Joe's Dining

*Marcellos

Rasoi

*Revolution Bakery

*Savoy

Slate Street Café
Slate at the Museum (Museum of Art and History)

Thai Cuisine II

*Yanni's Lemoni Lounge

 *Moveable Feast Restaurants 

Here are some other ways you can participate throughout the month of October: 

• Take the Eat Drink Local Challenge
• Attend one of the many local events occurring during Eat Drink Local Month (Local Food Festival and Field Day, Hops and Harvest Festival) 
• Attend our free World Food Day Community Dinner on Saturday, October 19th from 6-8pm. The NM Oxfam Action Corps is preparing a meal for 100 people from donated produce from the Downtown Growers Market. Join us for delicious food and hear from local farmers from Valle Encantado and Cecilia's Organics about access to land in New Mexico.
• Help protect farmers worldwide by visiting Oxfam America's website and signing the petition to ensure small-scale farmers aren't kicked off their land. 

Enjoy your vegetables and your weeds too!

By Kathy Chavez

Seeing the basket of purslane at the Macias booth brought back memories of fresh tortillas, chile, and a walk around the alfalfa fields. We called them verdolagas, though others referred to them as pusley or pigweed, and the official scientific name is portulaca oleracea.  All parts of the plant are edible, from its pale-red, succulent, round stems about six inches long to the small yellow flowers that bloom from midsummer to early fall.  

We would gather the verdolagas off the ditch bank, not realizing it was a weed. My New Mexican nurse friends and I sometimes reminisce about verdolagas and how they're comfort food for us.

My grandmother cooked them with pinto beans and red chile to make one of my favorite meals. I always enjoyed purslane's slightly lemony salty taste. The weed also contains the most omega-3 fatty acids of any leafy vegetable and more of these essential fatty acids than many types of fish.  It is a rich source of vitamin A which provides natural antioxidants essential for healthy eye sight.

The plant, most likely Southeast Asian in origin, can be found today at growers markets, and some local grocery stores in New Mexico. You might also be able to find it growing in your back yard.  It is safe to eat provided you don’t use any pesticides; chemical fertilizers, herbicide, and you don’t have a pet that has free range potty privileges. 

It's a versatile ingredient, so feel free to get creative. Use it fresh in a salad, cook it like spinach, or add it to a stir-fry. People make pastries out of purslane in Turkey, soup in Portugal, and fry it with cheese, tomato, and garlic in Greece. Below you'll find a simple yet delicious recipe my grandmother used. 

 

Ingredients:  

8 ounces of purslane

1 clove fresh garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup cooked pinto beans with or without the broth

Red chile sprinkled to taste

Directions: 

Dice the purslane and sauté with garlic

Add the beans and chile sprinkles, lightly sprinkle with salt. 
They are cooked when they are tender yet firm.  
They can be eaten in a corn or flour tortilla, or on their own.

Enjoy these tasty and nutritious weeds! Check out more recipes here.

Edited by Jasmine McBeath

Grower's Spotlight: Macias Farm!

By Kathy Chavez

Mary Macias with her warm smile

For over one hundred years the Macias family has been cultivating some of New Mexico’s most delicious and nutritious produce. Their fruits and vegetables grow under the majestic New Mexico sky in Albuquerque’s North Valley.

My first meeting with them dates back to 1994, on a very early Tuesday morning in the parking lot of the Caravan East. Mary’s warm and friendly smile first attracted me to her stand. Her perfect peaches kept me going back. I also love her quince.

If you haven't seen it, the yellow fruit is a member of the rose family and resembles a hard fleshed apple that can be used in preserves and pies. The Macias' stand also carries onions, garlic, cucumbers, beans and so many other delicious foods. These days you will find Mary and her magnificent family at the Saturday downtown growers market each week. 

The Santo Nino from my kitchen

The whole family works hard to bring us remarkably good food. They also have a family secret--ask them about their talented artist son. My kitchen has been protected by the most adorable Santo Nino for about nineteen years now. The santero artist was a niño himself when he painted the retablo for me and now he is an admirable young man. 

Join us at the growers market and meet the Macias Family along with all the other fabulous local farmers.

Edited by Jasmine McBeath