SPRING 2012
Bringing self-sufficiency and sustainability home
Got gardening on the brain?
Planning an eco-friendly wedding How municipalization could affect clean energy Natural remedies for seasonal allergies
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staff Publisher, Stewart Sallo Editor, Joel Dyer Director of Sales & Marketing, Dave Grimsland Director of Operations/Controller, Benecia Beyer Circulation Manager, Cal Winn
EDITORIAL Managing Editor, Jefferson Dodge Special Editions Editor, Elizabeth Miller Associate Editors, David Accomazzo, Quibian Salazar-Moreno
SALES Retail Sales Manager, Allen Carmichael Inside Sales Manager, Jason Wing Account Executives, David Hasson, Amber Hayes, Brooke Sunness, Amaru Ward, Jim Williams
PRODUCTION Production Manager, Dave Kirby Art Director, Susan France Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman
GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE Marketing Manager & Heiress, Julia Sallo Office Manager/Advertising Assistant, Francie Swidler Circulation Team Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ouslie, Rick Slama 12-Year-Old, Mia Rose Sallo cover photo: Susan France cover model: Jessica Lucke
contents FOOD & GARDEN 6 Digging in to organic gardening
SUSTAINABILITY 16 Green weddings
BUSINESS 23 Looking closer at ‘local’
HEALTH 35
Susan France
Zinnia Griffith displays produce from Aspen Moon Farm in Longmont.
T
his time of year, a lot of people are spending time thinking about what they’re going to eat. They’re planning and planting gardens that will yield produce all summer long, providing directives on whether it’s a week for salads, or one for zucchini bread, BLTs or snap peas. In some ways, this issue is a beginners’ guide to the world of gardening and sustainable living. These stories provide an entry into these discussions and, we hope, some conversation points you’ll take to patio tables and backyard barbeques to share with your community in the months to come. But we’re also delving into why these issues matter and how our government and policies can support the food and energy systems we’d prefer. We’ve taken on some weightier issues in this spring’s Boulderganic, not to trouble an otherwise sunny and light season with the burden of politics, but in the hope that at the time of new beginnings, planning and digging into the dirt, you’ll take a turn at digging into the way we live and plan our lives. We’ve packed this edition, as all the others, full of tips and tricks and perhaps some inspiring stories. Once again, Boulder Weekly will celebrate the release of the spring edition of Boulderganic with an event at the Dairy Center. We’ve invited local farmers, master gardeners, xeriscape gardeners,
FOOD, AND FOOD
FOR THOUGHT
bio-dynamic farmers and other green thumbs and experts to attend and present a small garden expo, answer your questions about gardening and engage in stimulating conversation — over food and drink. The “Got Gardening on the Brain?” event will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. If you’ve got questions about
what to start and where, or have had a nagging issue in your garden, this event is a great opportunity to engage with some local experts on the ideas brought up in this edition of Boulderganic. May these pages give you suggestions for food, and some food for thought. Respond: info@boulderganic.com
Natural remedies for allergies Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
March 29, 2012 5
Courtesy of Carol O’Meara
Courtesy of Carol O’Meara
Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Digging in to organic gardening Some tips on starting a vegetable garden by Jessie Lucier
A
sk four experts about how to make a garden grow, and you’ll get four different pieces of advice. What the experts have to say about cultivating healthy soil and when and where to water varies, but then, so do backyards. Familiarize yourself first with the term “microclimate.” Your backyard has one, and the amount of shade it gets, the soil in it and the nearest water sources will all play into what you can grow and how to successfully grow it. But for a novice gardener, a few tips from the pros can be helpful just getting off the ground — or rather, getting your seeds to come up through it. Here, a few local gardening experts share their knowledge on everything from soil to sun, watering to pests, and what plants a first-time gardener can have most success with. 6 March 29, 2012
LOCATION Pick a mostly sunny spot. Fruiting plants like tomatoes need full sun, but other crops, like lettuces, require a little shading. Kelly Simmons, a local permaculture teacher, suggests four to six hours of daily sunlight because a lot of plants — particularly at Colorado’s altitude — grow well with some shading. Hannah Upham, assistant manager at Sturtz and Copeland, suggests looking for full sun for about seven hours a day. Plants need long sunlight exposure and heat to undergo photosynthesis and grow properly, she says. You also want to choose a location that is not peppered with weeds or grass, says Connor Murphy, the market garden grower for Growing Gardens. It’s best to select a spot that has already been worked a bit — like an abandoned garden. If that’s not an option, try creating raised beds. Simmons stresses that you should never
pull grass up because it disturbs the soil and removes nutrients. Instead, she suggests placing cardboard over the grass and putting the raised beds over the cardboard. It’s easier to control soil in raised beds than in the ground, Upham says, which is critical, since Colorado soil is notoriously alkaline and full of clay. Finally, be sure to choose a location where there is easy access to water, Murphy says.
SOIL Colorado soil is not the most nutrient-rich, so most soil will have to be amended. All the experts stress the importance of adding organic matter, like compost, to your soil. “Soil is the most critical piece of gardening, and it takes awhile to build it up,” says Simmons. “Even though grass grows in an area, that does not mean that food will easily.” Compost can be bought in areas
around the community or directly from the city, but it’s best if you make it yourself, because you’ll know exactly what has gone into it, Simmons says. Also, make sure that what you put on the soil is fully composted, because if it’s not and is still raw, it can burn the plants out, Upham says. And it’s important to note that organic plants and soil need as much care as conventional gardens. “You will need to fertilize and you will need to add organic matter,” says Carol O’Meara, a CSU extension agent in horticulture and entomology. “Organic does not mean that you have to do nothing. It means that what you use — fertilizers and such — is naturally derived and not synthetic.”
CROPS “The first thing I would say to a first-time gardener is to start small,” says Simmons. “Gardening can be more work than some people realize. Pick three or four things that you really like, like tomatoes, peas and lettuce. Start there and you can build on your success next year.” When choosing what crops to
Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Courtesy of Carol O’Meara
Courtesy of Carol O’Meara
Eggplant
Parsley worm
grow, all the experts say it’s important to select crops that you and the members of your household like to eat. It’s especially important to plant crops that your kids or roommates like too if you want help, O’Meara says, which can be important for firsttime gardeners who may not realize how much work maintaining a garden can take. Salad greens often give the biggest reward for the investment. Greens, which can be expensive at the grocery store, grow fairly easily from seed — especially early and late in the growing season, Murphy says. Keeping these going throughout the hot summer months can be tricky, though, as their tendency will be to flower and return to seed. Plant greens, along with crops like chard, kale, parsley, cilantro and green onions, in early April and they will feed you April through June, Simmons says. Plants that thrive in hot weather should be planted around Mother’s Day. Crops that grow well in the summer include tomatoes, peppers, squashes, green beans and many herbs.You may want to consider buying starters — plants that have been
started indoors and are available to purchase — if you choose to grow tomatoes or peppers, as these can be difficult to start from seed. Squash plants, however, do not transplant well, so it is better to start these varieties directly in the ground from seed. And, when buying seeds, Upland suggests purchasing from local growers, since the seeds have come from plants that were grown successfully in Colorado. “There is a lot of trial and error in the process,” Simmons says. “Plants have personalities and it takes some time to get to know them. But, with time, you will get to know them and discover what they need and how they grow best.”
WATERING Most plants are pretty easy to grow in Colorado as long as they get enough water. As a general rule, Murphy says, most plants need about an inch of water a day, although you may need a bit more during hot or windy days and a little less in the spring. Simmons says that it’s crucial that the soil is covered once the garden is established so it can stay moist and
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
not get baked by the sun. She says covering the ground with dead leaves, mulch or hay will keep the soil cooler and help it retain water. When watering, she suggests pulling the covering back from the plants and watering directly into the ground, checking often to make sure that the soil — not the covering — is absorbing the water. Upham suggests giving plants a deep watering by holding a hose to the root source of the plant and giving it a long soak. This will allow you to water less frequently, once a day or even every other day.
ORGANIC PEST MITIGATION Growing organically means sharing a little of your produce. “If you’re going to have an organic garden, you need to get used to having bugs around,” says O’Meara. “There will be good bugs and bad bugs, and you need them both. If the good — the beneficial insects — don’t have the bad bugs to eat, they won’t stick around.” If plants are healthy, with plenty of water and nutrient-rich soil, there should be minimal pests, Simmons says.
If your plants do have pests, Murphy suggests putting ladybugs in your garden. The ladybugs will eat many of the pests, but you shouldn’t expect them to stick around too long. Once they’ve eaten all the bugs in your garden, they’ll leave in search of more. He also says you can try adding a small amount of biodegradable dish soap to water and spraying the plants. “The film causes some bugs to fall off,” says Murphy. “It’s remarkably effective for how simple it is.” Mainly though, organic gardening requires tolerance, and perhaps some thorough washing. In the end, understanding the investments required may be as important as studying detailed advice. A little extra time allows you to experiment and observe what’s working in your personal garden’s climate, and what’s not. “Gardening is a lot of fun, but it does take work,” O’Meara says. “Any gardener needs to keep in mind that gardening is really a lifestyle choice. It is not a sprint, but more of a marathon. You must gauge your time and commitment in order to be successful.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 7
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L
ocally grown food just got closer. If you crave the flavor of home-grown carrots or cucumbers, the taste can be yours, even if you don’t have a backyard.You can grow a garden just as delicious (if not as plentiful), with no more space than your apartment provides.Take advantage of that balcony you never use or that empty corner in your living room and start growing your own edible garden. The benefits of growing your own food are endless, says Ramona Clark, executive director of Boulder-based gardening organization Growing Gardens. “When you grow your own food, you know exactly what went into it and you develop a relationship with the plant,” Clark says. “You harvest it at its best, and you get all the nutrition.The store’s food might be two or three days old, and when you make your own, you’re eating it that day. It’s the healthiest food you can put into your body.” And luckily, almost everything you can grow in the ground can be grown inside — just not all at the same time.
sunlight will require watering multiple times a day. “If you have a lots of hot-weather plants like tomatoes, basil and rosemary, since they have less soil, they need a lot of water, and, so they don’t roast, that might require watering twice a day,” Clark says. For that reason, self-contained watering containers come in handy. Julie Hauser, owner of Indigo Landscape Designs, recommends getting creative and making your own. Line your container with a piece of string or candle wick, then drill a tiny hole in a bucket and string the yarn through. Fill the bucket with water and hang it like a potted plant.The water will run down the string, keeping your plant moist all day, or for a weekend away. But don’t forget to include drainage holes in your container. Otherwise, you’ll drown your plants. “The roots of the plant will sit in water,” Hauser says.With soil closer to the air, there’s more evaporation and the soil appears dry, “so you’ll water it again, but the roots are drowning. ”
WHERE TO START Creating a miniature garden begins with containers, which range from 6-inch pots to gigantic whiskey barrels. Selecting the proper barrel size all depends on the plant. Alison Peck, owner of landscape design company Matrix Gardens, suggests choosing the biggest container possible. “Life will be easier if you plant in large containers,” Peck says. “To be healthy, plants need a healthy root system, and it will be easier if they have a lot of soil to stretch their roots out into. Smaller containers stress plants out. A small container can dry out in two hours on a sunny balcony.” Choosing the right vegetable depends on the microclimate of your garden, Peck says. Southernfacing decks and windows get the most sunlight, so hot weather plants like tomatoes, squash and peppers will flourish. But if your apartment is shrouded in darkness, plant vegetables like lettuce, which do better in the shade. Get creative with different plants, like citrus dwarf trees, which, Peck says, grow to be about 3 feet tall, have long lives and are resilient to changing temperatures. Also, the citrus scent will leave your
UTILIZING YOUR SPACE Balconies, apartment corners or window sills might only give you a few feet of area to work with, but don’t fret; there are plenty of ways to work around a lack of space. Instead of branching out, why not branch up, with vertical gardening? You can drape plants like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and beans on a tall trellis, saving you valuable floor space. Also, choose plants that take up less room. Instead of planting tomatoes that grow on vines, plant a tomato bush, says Peck. Companion planting will save you room, too. Tomatoes and basil don’t just work well together on pizza; they also love sharing the same pot. Hauser suggests getting a container big enough to handle more than six plants. But choose plants that will get along. “You want to make sure you plant plants that are compatible and have similar requirements in terms of heat and watering,” says Ashley Giles, manager of garden center Sturtz & Copeland.“You can’t plant Mediterranean herbs, which like it drier and hotter,
No lawn? No problem How to start your own apartment garden by Amanda Moutinho
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
home smelling delightful.
PREVENTING THIRSTY PLANTS Container gardens do require more babysitting to maintain the delicate balance of temperature and hydration. “You need to keep an eye on your container, because you have to make sure the soil doesn’t get too dry or too hot or too cold,” Peck says. “When you’re gardening in the earth, you have all this soil, and the roots can reach out to get water, but in a container the plants depend more on you.” Remember, the sometimes scorching Boulder
see GARDEN APARTMENTS Page 10
March 29, 2012 9
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Susan France f a full-fledged garden sounds like too much work, consider scaling back and springing for an herb garden. Find a sunny windowsill, or plant them alongside a bigger plant and enjoy fresh herbs instead of store-bought ones. The list of herbs to grow includes basil, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, chives, sage and oregano. Assess the spices you cook with most often and go from there. Growing herbs is relatively low-maintenance, takes up minimal space and can save you money. And growing your own herbs can protect you from the harmful pesticides that have recently been discovered in herbs. According to a 2009 U.S. Department of Agriculture report, more than 90 percent of 184 cilantro samples tested positive for at least one pesticide. Ashley Giles, manager of garden center Sturtz & Copeland, says that some of the benefits of growing herbs include needing less light and fertilizer because you’re only harvesting the leaves, so the plants aren’t going the extra mile to flower. That also means that once you plant an herb, you can start harvesting quicker. One common snag gardeners run into with herbs, says Giles, is their natural instinct to grow. “It’s just in their nature to flower, and typically, the flavor of the leaf changes,” Giles says. “You can cut off the flower spike, and that puts it at
bay a little bit, but it’s not going to last forever.” After an herb flowers, you should consider uprooting and replanting, she says, because to maintain its flower the herb will produce chemicals, forever changing its flavor. Herbs do require minimal, but constant, upkeep to maintain their taste. Rosemary needs to be harvested frequently, says Julie Hauser, owner of Indigo Landscape Designs, otherwise the plant gets woody. “The longer you wait, the harder and bitterer the stems get,” she says. But Hauser also advises keeping a balance and not harvesting the herb down to the stem.
Respond: info@boulderganic.com
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Eating your legislation
Susan France
Zinnia Griffith of Aspen Moon Farm in Longmont shows off her chickens.
This year’s farm bill has a chance to support local, organic food systems by Clay Fong
F
ederal farm bills are the 400-pound gorilla of American agricultural policy, setting direction for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), if not the entirety of domestic farming.The last one was passed in 2008, and consisted of a $403 billion package covering, among other items, food stamps, biofuels, international trade, school lunches and rural energy efficiency. “It’s very complex. It’s like wandering into the intestines of the worm; it’s like watching paint dry,” says David Murphy, founder and executive director of Food Democracy Now! (FDN), an Iowa-based organization promoting progressive agricultural policy.“It’s one of the most important pieces of legislation — it connects the environment, land and the food we eat.” FDN has called for increased government support of smaller-scale and organic farming in the 2012 farm bill.The organization proposes passing a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Bill to encourage development of smaller, local operations, putting in place a million new farmers by 2020. More sustainable, small-scale practices will be encouraged by coupling conservation compliance with receiving crop insurance and limiting government payouts up to 1,000 acres per farm. FDN also advocates allocation of some $25 billion to support a transition from traditional agriculture to organics, with a goal that 75 percent of farms be organic certified by 2025. “Subsidies also come from the farm bill — it drives what farmers grow,” says Carol Carlson, chair of Slow Food Boulder, which provides education about the relationship among food, community and the environment. According to the Congressional Research Service, U.S. farmers receive about $7 billion a year in subsidy 12 March 29, 2012
payments from the farm bill, and 90 percent of this largesse is associated with corn, cotton, wheat, rice and soybeans.Ten percent of subsidy recipients get 66 percent of the money. The abovementioned products are what are known as commodity crops, and make up the lion’s share of agricultural sales. Most of Boulder County’s agriculture is commodity farming, according to Michael Brownlee, co-founder of Transition Colorado, a supporter of local food systems. “There are a number of largerscale commodity crop farmers in Boulder County who receive subsidies,” Brownlee says.“On the other hand, small ‘specialty’ producers — small-plot, bio-intensive farmers often using organic production methods and primarily marketing directly to consumers — receive no subsidies at all.” In terms of federal payments, $376,000 was paid out countywide, according to the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture. A single farm, Bcjj Farms, based in Byers, received $384,754 in USDA commodity subsidies in 2010. Boulder’s a poor cousin compared to neighboring Weld County, one of the top 10 richest agricultural locales in America. Large-scale agriculture operations, particularly those relating to cattle, contribute to Weld’s 2007 farm product sales figure of a staggering $1.5 billion dollars.Weld farmers also received some $15 million in federal payments.Total value of Boulder County farm products sold was $34 million.Thirteen farms reported income of more than a half million dollars, but average net farm income was a loss. Boulder may be mostly commodity crops, Brownlee says, but “Weld
County has a higher percentage of larger commodity crop farms, and few market farmers.” Far removed from the world of commodity agribusiness, Jason Griffith owns and operates Aspen Moon Farm in Hygiene. His farm has been approved as biodynamic, a term trademarked by Demeter USA, a nonprofit that certifies farms. Biodynamic farming eschews chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, emphasizes treating soil homeopathically and encourages crop rotation and growing a complementary mix of species. Griffith has been able to benefit from federal legislation through Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans. FSA financing and programs help farmers with down payments and equipment purchases. Griffith has used FSA loans for purchasing equipment. This small-scale family assistance is consistent with President Abraham
Lincoln’s initial vision for the USDA. In 1861, the Great Emancipator deemed agriculture “confessedly the largest interest of the nation.” Lincoln would also describe the USDA as “precisely the people’s department, in which they feel more directly concerned than in any other.” “When Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, farmers made up 50 percent of the nation,” Murphy says. “Now that number is 2 percent.” But the percentage of farmers isn’t the only factor that changed since Lincoln’s time.The small-scale farmer isn’t the focus of federal farm policies anymore. The 2008 legislation had a limited impact on organics, including development of an initiative to share organic certification costs with farmers, and the allocation of $78 million for research. The bill also provided an $80 million loan guarantee to a single company, Broomfield-based Range Fuels Inc., a now-defunct biofuels operation. Organic and local food proponents argue that it may be time for a more aggressive legislative approach supporting local, small farmers and organics. Murphy says he realizes his goals for the FDN are ambitious, but he says, “[You] never get what you want if you ask for what you think you can get.” There’s fundamental rationale for understanding and changing the laws governing what we eat, Murphy says: “Food laws are a reflection of how democratic, fair, open and just a society is.” Editor’s note: Clay Fong and David Murphy were college housemates.
Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
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Recipes on the range
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Local farmers share favorite dishes
be adapted for whatever vegetables you have on hand.”
by Clay Fong
A
s spring arrives, most foodies’ thoughts turn to the local produce making its way to area farmers’ markets. To help usher in the fresh produce season, Boulderganic asked three county farms to share a favorite recipe that makes the most of their bounty.
Combine garlic, onion and broth or water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and add greens, stirring to reduce until all greens are wilted. Place in blender and blend for 30 seconds. Remove from blender and serve, salt to taste.
OLLIN FARMS
THREE LEAF FARM
Nestled between Longmont and Niwot, Ollin Farms is renowned for its high-quality produce, such as its heirloom tomatoes, as well as a commitment to educating the public about agricultural sustainability. Events such as farm dinners and the 2012 Festival of Flavor series of tastings and farm tours will provide opportunities to learn about Ollin’s growing practices and sample some of their bounty. Kena Guttridge’s family operates the farm, and she shares a recipe based on her family’s love of soup. “The soups also change to meet our nutritional needs at different times of the year, from the highpowered, nutrient-dense spring soups to the comforting winter soups,” she says. A seasonal green soup is a particular favorite as the farm shifts into gear. “As spring arrives and our bodies get used to the busy work days, this delicious and nutrient-dense soup features three of our favorite spring greens, providing plenty of energy for that spring work schedule.”
Experienced restaurateurs Lenny and Sara Martinelli have long held a dream of growing food for their six local eateries, which include Leaf, Aji and the Huckleberry. They realized this dream last February, with their purchase of a 10-acre farm in Lafayette. Named Three Leaf Farm for their trio of children, plantings there include peppers, eggplant, salad greens, spinach, squash and pumpkins, broccoli, beans and fresh culinary herbs. Sara Martinelli offers up a signature dish, Three Leaf Farms pasta. “This dish is a sure sign that spring has arrived,” says Martinelli. “Our chef at Zucca, William Kelley, created this dish to utilize all the fresh produce coming from the farm. He wanted to highlight all the natural flavors of the vegetables while creating a dish that was satisfying and fresh.”
Spring Green Soup ½ pound spinach ½ pound Baby Red Russian kale ½ pound Yukina savoy 2 cloves garlic ¼ fresh onion 5 cups of water, vegetable broth or chicken broth ½ cup butter Salt to taste
Three Leaf Farm Pasta 4 oz. fresh homemade spaghetti 3 oz. farm vegetables i.e. beets, arugula, peas ½ oz. asparagus 6 heirloom teardrop tomatoes 1 tbsp. fresh basil 1 oz. white wine 1 tbsp. butter, unsalted ½ oz. Gorgonzola Dolce cheese Procedure: Cook pasta in salted boiling water for four minutes. Meanwhile, heat up saute pan and
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
Three Leaf Farm
add farm veggies and asparagus. Cook until warm, three minutes. Add teardrop tomatoes and basil. Warm tomatoes, but do not cook. Deglaze the pan with wine and reduce three-quarters. Add butter and melt until a creamy texture is achieved. Drain pasta and add to veggies. Toss pasta well to incorporate all the fresh flavors. Salt to taste. Mound pasta in bowl or on plate and top with Gorgonzola Dolce. For a great addition, add favorite sprouts or shoots and enjoy.
CURE ORGANIC FARM Cure Organic Farm’s produce can be found everywhere from its inviting on-site farm store to the finest local restaurants, including the Flagstaff House and Frasca. A CSA program distributes the 100 certified organic herbs, vegetables and flowers grown at this 10-acre spot. Connie Findley of Cure introduces a lasagna with a twist, as this dish swaps out the pasta in favor of hearty polenta. “This one comes from one of our CSA members, Michelle Drenick,” says Findley. “She teaches classes at our farm and is always experimenting and developing new ways to use our veggies. This is a great recipe and can
Michelle’s Vegetable Layered Polenta Lasagna For veggies: Olive oil to coat the skillet 2 or more cloves garlic, minced ½-1 onion, chopped 2 ½ or more cups coarsely chopped veggies, such as chard, braising greens, mushrooms, squash, tomatoes, bell pepper, corn, fava beans, etc. Herbs (such as basil, oregano, marjoram and thyme) Salt and pepper to taste For polenta: 3 cups low or nonfat milk 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 1 cup polenta ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tbsp olive oil ½ cup ricotta (and some fresh mozzarella) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish (2.5to 3-wquart). Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and chard stems, stirring until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining veggies and cook until softened but still bright. Remove pan from heat, stir in chopped fresh or dried herbs. Put milk, olive oil, salt and sugar in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly stir in the polenta. Cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. Add one quarter-cup parmesan and continue stirring. Spread half of this mixture into prepared casserole dish. Spread the ricotta cheese evenly on top. Then add the veggie mixture. Finish with the remaining polenta and top with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Tomato sauce can be spread on top of polenta, then sprinkled with cheese. Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 15
Nice day for a green wedding
Steve Weishampel
Ceremony can be eco-friendly without many compromises by Steve Weishampel
F
or all of the pageantry of many weddings, the most important part is that little two-minute bit you can barely see where the couple exchanges rings, does a secret handshake and passes notes to each other. Or whatever it is they’re doing up there. It’s one of the most symbolic parts, but it’s also the most important environmentally. The biggest waste at a wedding is the smallest object involved (unless you’ve got some kind of inhuman tree trunk fingers): the ring. Eco-friendly weddings can make dents in other areas — a reused dress, local flowers, a conscious caterer — but a commercially made ring casts a massive shadow over all of it. A ring mined the standard way generates a ton of waste that will be left in the environment. That’s not a figure of speech — one ton is the low end of estimates. The upper end: 20 tons of waste for a single ring. That’s because many commercial mines use heap-leaching, where a cyanide solution is dripped onto a pile of gold ore. The gold dissolves into a mixture that’s collected under the ore. The process literally removes the gold from the rock using poison. It couldn’t be more heavy-handed if George Orwell wrote it. But there’s hope. Eco-conscious couples are steadily getting more and better options for green weddings, from electronic-only invitations to recycled gold to previously owned dresses to farm-to-table venues that grow most of the food they serve. 16 March 29, 2012
But if you want to turn your wedding green, you might struggle when it comes to the actual plants. Teresa Henry, owner of florist Boulder Blooms, says brides and grooms can find eco-friendly options for flowers, but only if they don’t cling to the term organic. “There’s very few organic flowers, nearly zero,” she says, “because to make a flower look really beautiful it takes some bug control.” Henry says she’s learned that keeping a lid on pesticides means sacrificing appearance. “I had one person who absolutely insisted on organic flowers. I was able to get them, but they had to be shipped in from South America and the quality wasn’t that great,” she says. There’s still hope on the floral front, though. Henry points to other areas couples can reduce the carbon footprint of their flowers. One way, she says, is by staying in Colorado. “The best thing you can do for the environment is to locally source as much as possible,” she says. She notes that Boulder flowers are likely to receive fewer pesticides due to strict regulations. “Also, you cut out transportation. Usually, local does not mean cheaper, but they’re so beautiful.” Colorado flowers are typically 25 percent more expensive than flowers from out of state, Henry says. But labor costs stay the same, so couples would only pay 5 to 10 percent more for the eco-friendly option. Another green wedding option is to pick up an item you might find
Lizz Gotsdiner, with Boulder Blooms, in Boulder
just hanging around in a family closet — when it comes to the dress, the greenest choice is to use a previously worn gown. Marti Matsch, communications director for zero-waste nonprofit Eco-Cycle, calls the dress a good item for reuse, especially if brides value family tradition. “For my wedding gown, for example, I took my mom’s dress in to a tailor who modified it for me,” Matsch says in an email. “It was really cool and extra special that way.” Matsch says she’s aware of a few local companies that will make new dresses that are better for the environment. “I have a pal who wore a hemp gown she bought in Littleton that was spectacular,” she says. The nearest store advertising used dresses is Eco Bridal in Denver. Sara Watts, a jewelry designer at Boulder’s Angie Star Jewelry currently planning her eco-friendly May wedding, says she looked into green designers but didn’t find anything she liked. “The brands that I know that are marketing themselves as green
are few and far between,” she says. “There’s only one I know of, and I didn’t end up finding a dress through that company.” The dress she chose is “not specifically eco-friendly, but it’s certainly not sweatshop labor material,” she says. The biggest concern with dresses isn’t the impact on the environment, she says, it’s “human rights issues.” “It’s a different craft,” she says. “It’s hard to know what you’re buying and what you’re supporting with that decision.” With rings, though, the emphasis is most certainly on the environmental impact. The best option is to use recycled gold, say pro-environment Boulder jewelers Todd Reed of Todd Reed Jewelry and Angela Olsgard Tiernan of Angie Star. Old rings, necklaces and other jewelry can be melted down and re-forged into new pieces. Both Angie Star and Todd Reed use 100 percent recycled gold and harvest stones from old jewelry to reuse in new pieces. “In terms of diamonds, we could just keep making beautiful things over and over again,” Reed says. “I think that philosophy is really great.” These jewelers both say they’re motivated by doing the right thing, but ultimately, Tiernan says, customers’ values are the reason recycled gold is becoming more prevalent. “I think customers are really driving it. They’re asking for sustainable and recycled,” she says. But just how many couples seek the eco-friendly option? It depends who you ask. Henry says they’re everywhere. “We have a lot of experience with [green weddings],” she says. “You have no idea. Because everybody comes in and that’s the first thing they request.” Reed says more than 85 percent of his wedding customers are looking for sustainability. But Kim Boos, owner and pastry chef at Tee and Cakes, says only about half of the
Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
couples she works with mention ecofriendliness. The vendors say many couples probably aren’t aware that ecofriendly options exist, and if they are, they’re afraid their budgets can’t accommodate the expense. “Unfortunately, in the wedding world, lots of people are looking to save money. They’re on a budget for sure,” Boos says. “If they don’t understand why one company costs 10 percent more than the other, if there’s no explanation,” Watts says, “it would be easy to go with the cheaper one.” But Tiernan says cost shouldn’t be a factor for customers — her rings cost about the same as the rings at the mall, she says. “As far as I know, the cost is the same, so there’s no reason to choose a blood diamond,” she says. “There’s lots of ways to make it affordable and sustainable.” Another obstacle to eco-weddings is that they might not fit a traditional mold. While Watts and her partner haven’t felt torn between tradition and going green, she says she can imagine it happening. “A lot of weddings are planned with mothers and older generations,” she says. “I think convincing them of the value of that might be a little difficult.” Watts says it’s a question of staying true to what you care about. She says her wedding — which includes a Napa Valley farm-to-table venue and caterer, planted centerpieces that guests can take home instead of cut flowers, and cotton invitations over paper ones — hasn’t been a battle so far. But she hasn’t tracked down a wedding cake yet. That’s an area where the best options environmentally might not resemble tradition, says Boos. “One thing that always works well is doing cupcakes instead of a cake,” the chef says. She says the difference is how the two are served. “You don’t really need plates. You can use a biodegradable napkin and biodegradable cupcake wrappers,” she says. Skipping plates and silverware means washing fewer dishes. And with many cakes, the impressive structure and style comes at a price.
“Any time you do a wedding cake you use cardboard,” Boos says. “We use recyclable cardboard, but still.” Boos says the other step for ecofriendly baking is to use local ingredients whenever possible. “Our dairy comes from an hour away,” she says. “Eighty percent of our ingredients, we partner with local farms.” That’s true for eggs and milk as
well as seasonal ingredients like raspberries, Boos says. But not everything in a cake can be Colorado-grown. Boos says there’s nothing she can do about baking’s effect on the environment in some cases. “The transportation is the same, organic versus non-organic,” she
says. “[And] there’s no sugar plants around here.” It’s a good point. There’s very little chance of having a wedding without a little waste to go with it. But as long as you don’t order the 2,000-pound rock cake with cyanide icing, you’ll be doing the environment a favor. Respond: info@boulderganic.com
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Tuesday, July 3 at 10:00 AM Guru Purnima Pada Puja in Evergreen Call to RSVP and for directions
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The United Methodist Church of Evergreen 3757 S Ponderosa Drive, (across from Safeway) Evergreen www. evergreenumc.org
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Contacts: Bruce: 303-884-3541 • Wade: 303-917-7873 Sri Swamiji has come to help us on the path of meditation. He does not give lectures. He silently teaches the practice of Dhyan meditation. His gift of meditation is given as a friend without obligation. His blessings serve to deepen whatever spiritual path one has undertaken.
Sri Swamijiʼs programs are always free and open to all. They include an introduction, one hour of meditation, singing traditional Indian spiritual songs called bhajans, arthi, and an opportunity to speak with Sri Swamiji individually and receive his blessings and guidance.
For more info about Sri Swamijiʼs mission and tour, visit www.shivabalamahayogi.com or e-mail ganeshplace@gmail.com or visit www.shivabalayogi.ca
18 March 29, 2012
Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Get out
Courtesy of the City of Boulder
Spending time in Boulder’s great outdoors makes for happier and healthier people by Jessie Lucier
T
he National Park Trust day, many of today’s children are not has dubbed May 19 getting outdoors often enough to National Kids to Parks engage in unstructured play. Day, a day when they “Tons of studies show that time invite every family in spent outdoors by kids is so imporAmerica to visit a national, state tant, because they are using their or local park. Their slogan, which is imaginations and being creative,” says touted by their mascot, Buddy Bison, Freeston. “When kids are outdoors, is simple — “Explore outdoors, the the sky is the limit, and they don’t parks are yours!” know what their own minds can creThat this “holiday” was created ate until they’ve tried.” and is gaining wide recognition is a Many studies have also shown testament to what many people have that recreational outdoor time is known for years and to what a lot of beneficial for adults, too. In fact, some research is dedicated Courtesy of the City of Boulder doctors are now to exploring — that prescribing patients spending recreational ecotherapy (also time outdoors in known as nature places like parks therapy) to help makes happier and improve mood and healthier people. relieve anxiety, stress “We are so lucky and depression. Some here, where nature health care providers is so accessible,” says are even prescribJennelle Freeston, ing ecotherapy to the coordinator patients to help treat of volunteer sermany physical medivices for the City of cal conditions as well, Boulder Open Space like high blood presand Mountain Parks sure and diabetes. (OSMP), who has a master’s degree Boulder, with its celebrated anin environmental leadership and susnual 300 days of sunshine and 40,000 tainability. “But even here in Boulder, acres of open space, is an ideal setpeople are not getting outdoors as ting for ecotherapy. And getting that much as they might want to, even doctor-prescribed treatment, or givthough studies show the amazing ing kids an environmental education, health benefits of getting outdoors doesn’t have to cost a cent. and connecting with the local envi“Open Space Mountain Parks has ronment.” made helping kids and their families Freeston explains that it’s espeget out into nature a priority, and cially important for children to conwe offer all kinds of free programs nect with the outdoors at an early and events to help this happen,” says age. She says that while many adults Dave Sutherland, interpretive naturalhad what might now be considered ist for OSMP. a romanticized childhood, where The organization offers many most kids spent time outdoors every free, year-round programs, but really Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
Courtesy of the City of Boulder
boosts things up during the warmer months, when more people want to be outdoors. This spring and summer Boulder County residents can take advantage of OSMP’s free, guided hikes, kids’ story times and Meadow Music, a family-friendly weekly outdoor concert series of silly but educational songs about the county’s flora and fauna. Families can also check out nature discovery backpacks at Chautauqua’s ranger station. The packs are full of cool gear like magnifying lenses, games and guides, and helpful information for parents. And, OSMP will be offering special programs on National Kids to Parks Day — a day that puts emphasis on
what they strive to do every day — to help make Boulder County’s open space and mountain parks more accessible and educational for the community. For more information, visit their website as the holiday grows closer. “We live in an amazing community where getting outside and learning about nature is funded by our tax dollars,” says Freeston. “We [OSMP] hope that everyone takes advantage of this and gets outside more. It really does reduce stress for parents, and it helps kids learn that they have a place to be creative and play and, yeah, destress, too.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 19
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Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Come enjoy a BBQ with us at our
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Safe spring cleaning
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by Blair Madole
O
dd things tend to turn up when you tackle the task of cleaning out your closet, from old paint and cleaning supplies to moldy food and frayed clothing. The question is, what do you with it all? For those who want to remain environmentally friendly when tossing out the trash, here are a few tips.
SPREAD IT OUT The first rule of spring cleaning while trying to be kind to the environment is to clean in increments. “Folks need to plan ahead for spring cleaning,” says Iris Sela Horowitz of Eco-Cycle. “If you wait and try to do it all in one day, then the process of trying to figure out how to dispose of all the materials will seem laborious. If you break it out over a few days, it will be a lot easier to get everything done.”
CLEAN THE CLOTHES There are several places around town that accept used clothing, including heavily used items that are stained or have holes. However, the clothes have to be clean. So, the first step to clearing out your closet is to separate the clothes you don’t want any more into piles — vintage/designer, lightly used and heavily used — then toss the piles into the wash. Next, decide where you want to take them.The first pile with your vintage and designer items can be either sold or traded at Buffalo Exchange on 18th and Pearl streets.The second pile with the lightly used items you would rather donate than sell can be dropped off at the Goodwill on Baseline and Broadway or ARES Thrift Shop in both Boulder and Longmont. Finally, those grungy looking items in the third pile can be taken to Eco-Cycle’s Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) at
5030 Pearl Street. “The heavily used items that are still repairable are sent to communities in Africa to be mended and worn,” Horowitz says. “The stuff that can’t be reused is turned into industrial rags.” Also, though organic and sustainable clothing is better for the environment in the manufacturing phase, it cannot be composted at the local facility because it could jam the equipment, so don’t put it in the curbside bin with the moldy veggies.
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DON’T TRASH THE TOXICS Toxic items like old paint, strong household cleaners and motor oil can cause groundwater pollution when improperly land-filled, so don’t toss these items in the trash. Instead, take them to the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility, which accepts most household hazardous materials. There is no charge to drop off hazardous waste at the facility, though proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or a utility bill, is required.The facility accepts residents of Boulder County, Broomfield County and Erie.
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GIVE AWAY THE GEAR If you are tired of looking at the rusting bike in the back of your garage or making space for skis you don’t use anymore, there are several options. For those looking to make some money off of a top-of-the-line road bike or telemark skis, you can open a free consignment account at Boulder Sports Recycler. If a bike is not quite selling material, the parts can be taken to Community Cycles, where they will be refurbished and redistributed. For more information on where to send unwanted household items, visit ecocycle.org/a-zguide. Respond: info@boulderganic.com
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
Flatiron Chef Local Cook-off Who will be the best chef in Boulder for 2012?
September 13th, 2012 To nominate your favorite chef, go to:
www.everybody-eats.org March 29, 2012 21
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22 March 29, 2012
Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Looking closer at ‘local’
Business owners and entrepreneurs define, promote independent business by Steve Weishampel
B
reaking news:You’re in Boulder. Or Longmont, or Lafayette, or Nederland, or Louisville. Now that you’re aware of it, spend like it, says local entrepreneur Richard Fleming. “You’re in Boulder to have the unique Boulder experience,” Fleming says. “You don’t go to Pearl Street to shop at Armani.” Fleming, who owns Boulder video marketing firm Creative Coop, is part of a buy local movement that encourages consumers to spend at locally owned, independent stores rather than chains. The president of the Boulder Independent Business Alliance, Fleming says BIBA aims to encourage and promote Boulder’s thriving local business scene. “Local businesses are what give Boulder its unique flavor,” Fleming says. For real estate investor Michael Moran, part of the reason local businesses are important is to create a sense of community. Moran, also a member of BIBA, says local businesses mean personal connections. “You get to know the owner, they get to know you,” he says. “It feels like you’re in a neighborhood.” Even within the city, though, buying local doesn’t mean the same to everyone. And to some, it might not mean anything at all.
RUNNING UP THAT HILL “Anyone that comes into that school from out of state, they have no idea what it means to buy local,” Fleming says of the University of Colorado. He says local businesses aren’t given enough attention or
priority on the Hill, an area he calls “a goddamn disaster” and “an economic catastrophe.” Fleming says CU needs to step up. “Tell students as they come in, ‘Hey, Del Taco is not where you want to eat,’” he says. “You have kids saying, ‘Where’s the Taco Bell? Where’s the 7-Eleven?’” (Actually, there’s a 7-Eleven opening at 13th and College Avenue.) Where Fleming seems frustrated, Moran seems hopeful. “Some of these younger kids are so much more hip to the idea of buying Boulder,” Moran says. He says even though many people are aware of the catchphrase “Buy local,” he sometimes faces an uphill battle explaining the movement. “When I say, ‘Buy local,’” he says, “they say, ‘I shop in Boulder.’” That’s not enough, Moran says, since shopping in Boulder isn’t shopping local if you’re just going to the chains. But when people hear the concept, he says it’s usually wellreceived. “They go, ‘Oh, we love that idea.’ So people are real excited about it when they hear it,” he says. Moran says for now outreach to the public is one of BIBA’s main priorities.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? Let’s get technical for a minute. What, exactly, qualifies a business as local? “With BIBA,” Fleming says, “we have a 60-mile radius. ... We’re defining local businesses as businesses that are independently developing, not getting help from outside sources.” So, there: a local business. Except it’s not that easy. One gray area is
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
places like independently owned car dealerships, which often fit the local-business ownership model but are still part of international brands. Fleming says they aren’t in the same category as strictly local operations. “You receive your name, your credibility, your advertising clout — all that comes from a corporation,” Fleming says. Moran says it’s more important to examine how a business relates to its community. “We’re struggling around some definitions,” he says, “like Fisher Chevrolet [Honda]. They’ve been here God knows how many years, and it’s a family-owned dealership. They’re local and they invest in the community. That is a locally owned business, in my mind.” Then there’s a business like McGuckin, the hardware store that’s been a Boulder cornerstone since 1955. It’s locally owned, to be sure, now by founder Bill McGuckin’s sonin-law, Dave Hight. The problem is, almost all of its products aren’t local. McGuckin aims to buy local, but hinges, nails and PVC pipe haven’t been Boulder manufacturing staples since, well, ever. Randy Barker, marketing director for McGuckin, says the store sells local products when it can. “We do make an effort, when we’re approached by local manufacturers ... who have products that they’re trying to sell,” he says. He mentions locally made honey, lip balm and glue as Boulder items currently on McGuckin shelves. “I think the owners here feel like they’ve really been a part of the development and growth of Boulder. I think it’s part of the roots of the community,” Barker says.
IT JUST MAKES … WAIT FOR IT … CENTS Buying local isn’t just about building a community. It’s also about building a tax base. “More money stays within the
local community,” Moran says. “You prop up the tax base by buying locally, and you create a culture of connecting with your community.” Fleming says money spent at a local business has a greater chance of remaining in the community: 45 to 68 cents of a locally spent dollar stays in town, depending on where you live, he says; out of a dollar spent at a chain store, 14 cents stays. He says in some industries, local businesses help support each other, like Colorado’s burgeoning craft brewing industry and the liquor stores that sell their products. Since state law requires liquor stores to be independently owned, brewers have an easier time selling through them than they would a statewide chain. “We have really small breweries and distilleries popping up,” he says. “They couldn’t just walk into King Soopers and say, ‘Sell our stuff,’ but they could walk into Superior Liquor.” In this way, he says, the local businesses need and support each other.
SHOP LOCAL ON YOUR MOBILE BIBA’s next step, Moran says, is launching a “Local and Loving It” marketing campaign that will promote local businesses of all kinds. And Moran says he sees some hope in new legislation that could pull together various local businesses into one smartphone app database. “The Senate bill [143] is a great idea,” he says, but a statewide solution might be slow, expensive and clunky. Moran says he’s considering getting a Boulder database started to solve the problem from the ground up. “I might ask Boulder business people if they wanted an app to find independent local businesses in Boulder,” he says. “Most problems are better solved from the grassroots level. You build it up and build it out.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 23
LFS-BouldOrganic-QtrPgAD 3/22/12 4:29 PM Page 1
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City, Xcel square off over solar, wind programs Boulder officials say municipalization is not a done deal by Jefferson Dodge
T
he latest skirmish in the municipalization battle between Xcel and the city of Boulder revolves around solar and wind energy programs. Currently, Xcel offers initiatives like Solar Rebates and Windsource as incentives for customers to use alternative energy sources, partly because Xcel has a state-mandated clean-energy quota to meet over time. Officials say Boulder is one of the biggest users of such programs, but in a recent filing with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Xcel is seeking to pull back some of those offerings from Boulder customers, in anticipation of the city municipalizing its electric utility. Boulder voters approved two measures last fall authorizing an occupation utility tax generating $1.9 million a year for five years so that the city can hire the attorneys, engineers, appraisers and other professionals needed to ascertain the cost of acquiring Xcel’s infrastructure and running a municipal utility. The city plans to spend up to $800,000 a year on law firms alone to determine the cost of condemning the Xcel system and whether the city owes the company any “stranded costs” — infrastructure investments that Xcel has made that would have benefited Boulder customers if the city had renewed its franchise agreement with the utility. City officials are challenging Xcel’s PUC filing to begin withdrawing alternative energy programs, calling the move premature, even punitive, because the city has not yet decided whether to municipalize. Xcel officials, on the other hand, say they must plan ahead for municipalization and can’t have the rest of their customers subsidize a benefit for Boulder. “We’re not discriminating against them, we’re ensuring we don’t discriminate against our other customers on their behalf,” says Xcel Regional Vice President Jerome Davis. “We’ve had to make a business decision to move forward.” Xcel spokesperson Michelle Aguayo says that the company needs to limit those programs now so Xcel doesn’t have to try to recoup its investBoulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
ment later, after the city municipalizes. She adds that the city can’t expect the company to not plan ahead for a life without Boulder, especially after the city declined to renew its franchise agreement. “They can’t have it both ways,” Aguayo says. Davis adds, “It’s funny how they want their cake and everyone else’s cake too.” But Jonathan Koehn, the city’s regional sustainability coordinator, argues that Boulder customers are still paying Xcel — and still paying fees to subsidize those clean energy programs — and should only be cut off only if and when Boulder municipalizes. Municipalization is far from a done deal, he says. “Our position is and continues to be that we are customers of the company until we are no longer customers,” Koehn says, adding that if Xcel reduces its services to the city, “we expect those charges to come off of Boulder customers’ bills.” He describes Xcel’s move as a bit of a scare
tactic intended to make Boulder citizens fear losing benefits if the city municipalizes. Koehn also challenges the suggestion that a municipal utility would not be able to provide the same amount of rebates and incentives for clean energy. The cost model the city ran last year included a good amount of those programs, he says. Koehn adds that a Boulder municipal utility would be more nimble and flexible in how it targets programs to meet the city’s needs and purchases cheaper, cleaner energy like surplus wind-generated power. Wind farms, Koehn explains, can eventually generate power more inexpensively than coal-fired plants, for example, because once the debt for the construction of the farms is paid off, you don’t pay for operating costs and fuel, just distribution, shaving off the majority of expenses in the long run. “This is not a five-year planning horizon,” he says. “This is a 100-year planning horizon.” The city’s energy goals are often at odds with Xcel’s business model, Koehn says, because while the city wants to decrease energy use, the company is in the business of increasing (or at least maintaining) customers’ energy use, because Xcel has to pay off debts on its power plants and pay its stockholders. “We want to look at this as more of a service rather than a commodity,” he says. “This is a shift in the business model. We’ve been contacted by other cities in Colorado and outside Colorado.” But the city won’t know whether a municipal utility is sustainable economically until it shells out the millions for the experts to crunch the numbers and jump through the regulatory hoops. If it’s not financially feasible, and can’t deliver rates that are the same as or lower than Xcel’s, Koehn says, “by the ballot language itself, we can’t move forward.” Xcel officials say the city was way off on its cost estimates, and that municipalizing will prove to be more expensive than Boulder officials claim. “We’re going to find out in advance,” Koehn says. Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 25
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Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Fiber problems
see
As Boulder explores condemning Xcel’s SmartGrid, questions remain about the $20 million fiber-optic system by David Accomazzo
W
hat if you could improve the infrastructure on the electric grid to make it smarter? In 2008, Xcel Energy embarked on an ambitious pilot program designed to do just that in Boulder. Called SmartGridCity, the program was intended to add digital tracking capabilities to the existing electric grid, making it possible for the utility company to remotely monitor power usage across the grid, and for residents to monitor their energy use in real time. Xcel estimated the grid would cost around $100 million. The company expected to pay about $15 million of that, hoping that interested companies would cover the rest. Since Xcel considered SmartGridCity to be a pilot program for the entire state, not just Boulder, the utility’s share of the costs was covered by a slight rate increase for all of Xcel’s Colorado ratepayers. But a few years into the project, Xcel’s portion of the project grew from $15 million to $44.5 million. Xcel recently declared the project finished and is looking to recover its cost overruns. Xcel asked the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for permission to raise rates again to cover the rest of the utility’s expenses. The PUC gave Xcel permission to recover all but $16.5 million, and noted that after Xcel addressed some PUC commissioners’ concerns, Xcel would be allowed to recover the rest of the costs. Xcel says it has answered those questions and is awaiting a decision from the PUC, according to Xcel spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo. But now that Boulder residents approved ballot measures to move the city towards exploring municipalizing the electric utility, the future of Xcel’s Smart Grid infrastructure
investments lays in limbo. In the next few months, the city will examine all the components of Xcel’s grid that would need to be condemned and acquired as part of the municipalization process, including the components of SmartGridCity. One of the components the city will have to evaluate is the 200 miles of fiber-optic cable Xcel spent roughly $20 million installing. The cable was intended to help the SmartGridCity instruments send data back to Xcel. There is a chance, says Jonathan Koehn, the city’s regional sustainability coordinator, that the city might not choose to condemn the fiber-optic cable, or that the city might condemn the fiber-optic cable but use it for something other than transmitting utility data. “There are certainly other applications for a fiber backbone. Other communications, other options besides just transmitting utility data,” Koehn says. “We want to explore not just is the technology available and useful for, like I said, transmitting customer data on energy use, but are there other applications that we would consider? In which case, we may consider acquiring those portions of the system.” As part of the SmartGridCity initiative, Xcel installed monitoring devices on 4,500 transformers and four substations that serve Boulder and installed 23,000 “smart meters” in Boulder, Aguayo says. The old meters recorded electricity use only once a month, providing Xcel with just 12 points of data per meter per year, but the meters Xcel installed as part of SmartGridCity take readings once every 15 minutes, which comes out to thousands of readings per meter per year. In addition to the $20 million the utility spent on fiber optics, Xcel also spent millions of dollars on data
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
management and software that could interpret the raw data and turn it into a useful form, says Leslie Glustrom of Clean Energy Action, a nonprofit dedicated to clean-energy issues. Glustrom criticizes the entire system, saying the meters Xcel installed on Boulder homes were out-of-date, and that the fiber-optic system was overkill and unnecessary. She says Xcel blundered when they chose the meters, made by Landis & Gyr, to install on Boulder homes. “These meters were absolutely not the most current models,” Glustrom says. “They couldn’t be upgraded remotely. … So whenever Xcel wanted to upgrade them, they would have to send someone out.” Steve Pomerance, a former Boulder city council member, says the meters only allow Xcel to get specific energy readings throughout the day. They cannot actually alter energy use, Pomerance says. “It was known at the time that these meters were obsolescent,” Pomerance says. “These meters had no value in terms of actually managing energy. All they could do was time-ofday metering.” It wasn’t just the meters that were out-of-date, Pomerance says, it was the whole system — the meters, the fiber-optic network installed to transfer metering data back to Xcel, and the software Xcel purchased to analyze said data and convert it into data digestible for consumers. “The whole system is out of date. As far as I know, nobody is using this kind of system anymore,” Pomerance says. “Dedicated fiber optics — nobody’s doing it. Everybody is doing it over the Internet, wirelessly.” Indeed, Xcel is now running a small pilot program using different monitoring equipment (manufactured by EnergyHub) that doesn’t connect to
the fiber-optic network at all. Instead, all information exchanged between the meter and Xcel is transmitted through the home’s wireless network. In an FAQ distributed to the participants in the pilot program, one of the questions asks if customers will be able to monitor and control the EnergyHub device from the Xcel Energy My Account portal, the online portal that allowed customers to access the data collected using the fiber-optic network. Xcel gives a terse answer: “No.” As Boulder moves forward and explores the municipalization process, the city will have to decide whether the SmartGridCity components are worth acquiring from Xcel. Koehn says that might not include the Smart Grid components, and the city might not agree with Xcel over how much the components are actually worth. “That’s one of the possibilities, that we could really parse out the components of the Smart Grid system that really have value to the consumer, versus those that have the biggest benefit to the utility,” Koehn says. “It’s easy [for Xcel] to say that they have cost overruns of $44.5 million; that does not correlate to the value of the equipment,” he says. The city has yet to really dig deeply into the condemnation process — Boulder only recently retained lawyers to help with the process — and, pending further investigation, the city has assessed a value of zero to the Smart Grid. “We are rolling up our shirt sleeves and valuing each aspect of what Xcel has in place right now. … We are in the process of starting to figure out the steps we will take to value all of their assets, including the existing components of the Smart Grid,” says city spokeswoman Sarah Huntley. Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 27
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Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Conserving Colorado’s golden goose
Colorado’s Greenway Initiative could increase green space and contribute to the local economy by Tate Zandstra
T
he conservation of our resources,” former president Theodore Roosevelt once said, “is the fundamental question before this nation.” The sentiment seems like a modern reaction to a shrinking natural world but, a century ago, Roosevelt saw an urgent need to protect wild places. He had witnessed the decline and near extinction of the buffalo, decimation of redwood forests and the destruction caused by rampant mining. The world population at that time was about a billion and a half. Now, with 7 billion and counting, President Barack Obama appears set on a conservation plan of his own, one seemingly tailored for the modern world, and it starts in Colorado. The American Great Outdoors Initiative is a nationwide conservation plan to get more Americans outside, not only to instill in them an appreciation for open and wild places and a desire to protect them, but to create outdoors-related jobs and stimulate tourism. The Great Outdoors Initiative aligns somewhat disparate government agencies like the Departments of Interior (DOI) and Agriculture (USDA) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality in order to conserve two or more key wilderness areas in each state. Colorado’s Front Range turns out to be the testing grounds for the new plan. The Rocky Mountain Greenway, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced last May, “will connect the Denver Greenway System to the three National Wildlife Refuges in the Denver metro region and, eventually, to Rocky Mountain National Park.” In his speech, which took place at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the
Tate Zandstra
new Rocky Mountain Arsenal visitor center, Salazar said the plan would enhance the Denver metro region’s connections to the natural landscapes and counties surrounding it — and result in increased tourism spending. The Rocky Mountain Greenway is one of three Colorado projects to be constructed under the Great Outdoors Initiative. Connecting three major National Wildlife Refuges — Rocky Flats, Two Ponds and Rocky Mountain Arsenal — with many smaller state parks and recreation areas, the plan creates a large wildlife corridor with 140 miles of unbroken trails in some 40,000 acres of open space. The plan also calls for water quality testing and improvement and eventual extension as far as Rocky Mountain National Park. Urban areas are beautified with the addition of parks, and citizens benefit from outdoor activity, education and clean water, but there are real monetary benefits, too, according to the Great Outdoors Initiative. The plan cites the successful rehab of Confluence and Commons parks from dumping grounds for garbage and raw sewage in the ’70s to places that enhance the quality of life of Denver’s residents and attract tourists today. “If there’s a system of trails to link national parks together, it would benefit communities around that trail system, absolutely,” says Maryann Mahoney, executive director of the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The National Park Service just released data about total visitor spending in communities in and surrounding national parks, and it’s significant.” Very significant, in fact. According to EPA figures, the national parks draw 280 million visitors each year, provide 250,000 related jobs to Americans and
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
Sylvan Lake, near Eagle
generate $12 billion in visitor spending. “Outdoor recreation contributes $730 billion to the U.S. economy, and Colorado’s active outdoor recreation contributes more than $10 billion annually and supports more than 100,000 jobs,” says Avery Stonich of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), an outdoor recreation trade association based in Boulder. OIA estimates $289 billion of economic activity is generated nationally by peripherals like gas, food, taxes and retail sales and services in a ripple effect dependent on tourism at public lands and largely benefiting small business. “People come to Boulder and they want an activity,” says Bill Leuchten, who owns Boulder’s Front Range Anglers. “They may go horseback riding, ballooning, hiking, or they may try fishing.” Leuchten’s concern is with stream quality, and he says he feels that federal money would be best spent improving habitat in rivers like the Platte, which flows through much of the Greenway. “Stream improvement would bring in revenue, no doubt,” Leuchten says. “Good fisheries bring people from all over the world.” Leuchten employs six full-time retail employees and dozens of part-
time and private contractors as guides. He is one of many business owners whose livelihood depends upon sound conservation measures. In financially stressful times, any advantage to local economies is precious, but there are skeptics. “I think bringing people out to see wild animals and nature is pretty much always a good idea, especially if they can’t afford to do it otherwise,” says Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, but he cautions that the process needs to be managed carefully. “You’re going to have to be smart about it and think about what kind of infrastructure you’re creating to do that, and make sure that you aren’t damaging nature to do it.” There have been many cases where conservation strategies aimed at protecting environments through stimulating economic gains have backfired, causing greater damage to the environment, he says. “There’s a limit to how far you can go with the argument that protecting the environment has economic value,” Suckling says. “There certainly is economic value, but ultimately, nature needs to be protected because we have an ethical responsibility to do so, regardless of economic benefits.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 29
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Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
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Women to watch in sustainable business Three locals who have made a mark
Susan France
by Travis Mannon
B
oulder County is home to some incredible women who, on top of running or owning a sustainable business, are also leaders in their community, working to educate and encourage others to be more eco-friendly. Boulderganic caught up with a few of the women to talk about their work and their lives.
Kathryn Alexander President, CEO and founder of Ethical Impact thical Impact, founded by Kathryn Alexander in 2003, is helping to change the face of green businesses in Colorado by offering consulting services to companies looking to implement sustainable business practices.And what better way to teach sustainability than to lead by example: 100 percent of Ethical Impact’s energy use for the last eight years has been offset by wind power, and the company produces only 30 gallons of waste a month. Alexander says her goal is to bring the companies she works with through three stages of sustainability.The Kathryn first, she says, is “what most Alexander people think about when they think of sustainability in business,” which is the wise use of resources.The second goal is to get companies to understand the big picture of how everything is connected and the implications of those connections.The final stage is for companies to realize that “their actions need to nourish the planet so we’re actually improving our environment as opposed to just managing it or trying not to destroy it,” she says. “There aren’t too many companies at stage three.” Outside her company,Alexander sits on the board of Colorado Business Women, a group that focuses on strengthening women professionally and financially. She also teaches a course on social responsibility, ethics and values for the Sustainable Practices Program at the University of Colorado Boulder’s.And when she isn’t too busy saving the world,Alexander turns her attention to horses; she is an equestrian enthusiast and a former barrel racer.
E
Sandra Weeks President and owner of Blue Spruce Design and Construction andra Weeks started Blue Spruce Design and Construction in 1997. The firm takes on both
S
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
residential and commercial projects. Blue Spruce Design and Construction’s unique remodeling projects include some of Boulder’s popular restaurants, like The Greenbriar Inn, L’Atelier and The Flagstaff House. Her typical approach to green renovation is to tackle the “low-hanging fruit” — generally Marianne the problems requiring the easiBallantine est and quickest solutions — first by encouraging people to get the best energy-efficient windows, installations and lights they can afford. “In a lot of ways, most of the green environmental features have become much more affordable,” Weeks explains. What many people don’t realize is that with incentives and grants from environmental organizations and energy companies, many sustainable projects almost pay for themselves, she says. Weeks was also recently Susan France elected as the president of the board of directors of the Colorado Green Building Guild (CGBG), a nonprofit trade organization that represents green building leaders. The CGBG (back when it was the Boulder Green Building Guild) proposed changes to Boulder’s building codes to require new commercial construction and residential remodels to meet certain energy-efficiency requirements. Weeks was elected to the board of directors of the CGBG three years ago. She and the CGBG have been working on a new development, a website that will feature blogs and videos that focus on sustainability. The website will also be a place where consumers can come to connect with professional green contractors directly. “[The website] is going to be really dynamic, it’s going to be really informative, and it’s going to benefit both the contractor and consumer,” she says. A single mother who raised two “only children” born 15 years apart, she is also on the board of the YWCA (You, Women, Children, All of us), one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the
country. It offers Boulder’s only drop-in daycare and provides women with career counseling. Marianne Ballantine Majority owner of Ballantine Environmental Resources arianne Ballantine’s Ballantine Environmental Resources specializes in environmental education and ecological restoration nationwide. Ballantine runs the company alongside her husband,Todd Ballantine, and says the business could not operate without the synergy of their talents. Marianne Ballantine operates the business and administrative end of things.Todd Ballantine, a wetland biologist, is an environmental guru who pioneered the first EPA-approved reclaimed water technique. The company works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Parks Service to create visitor centers and interpretive signs along trails to educate visitors. Marianne Ballantine’s work was recently recognized by Make Mine a Million (M3) Dollar Business, a national organization that aims to support women-owned businesses. The organization teaches female business owners how to pitch their businesses to venture capitalists in a two-minute presentation.As a winner of the annual M3 business award last year, she received eight months of executive coaching. Following her own experience with M3, she Sandra decided to coordinate this year’s Weeks meet-up to help support other women-owned businesses in reaching the million-dollar mark in revenue. Marianne Ballantine says she believes women are going to be the real leaders in sustainable business in the future. “Women generally make more sustainable and healthy choices and decisions,” she says. That’s not to take anything away from her other half. As Ballantine explains, “very few couples would be as happy working together as we are.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com
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March 29, 2012 31
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Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Just a little loan
Microloans boost sustainable businesses at home in addition to overseas by Tate Zandstra
O
Carmel Zucker
rganic, local, sustainable food seems to be a growing trend in America, but it’s also a trend that almost inevitably means higher prices. When most people think of microfinance, likely what comes to mind are images of the developing world: very poor, rural people with nothing to offer as collateral receiving loans that might be considered ludicrously small someplace like Boulder. In a scaled economy, however, a microloan might be just a few grand given to a local business, and it might make all the difference. “A lot of times, just a little bit of money can help someone be successful and sustainable,” says Paul McLean, vice president of purchasing for Whole Foods Market’s Rocky Mountain region.Vendors are often turned down when they apply for a traditional bank loan if they are unable to show several years of profitability. “One of the loans I’m workAnne Cure ing on right now is for a vendor who needs new roofs on their greenhouses, but they just don’t have the funds to fix them,” McLean says. (LPLP), with which the company props up local sus“Not so many banks love lending to farmers be- tainable businesses by offering loans conceivably as cause of the volatility of our business; we might get low as a few thousand dollars (to date the smallest a hail storm and be totally wiped out,” says Anne loan is $18,000) and ranging up to $100,000. Cure, owner of Cure Organic Farm, on the east Relatively new, burdened by little debt and edge of Boulder. “It’s like putting all your eggs in buoyed by popularity, Whole Foods seems to be one basket, then watching someone drop them out forcing traditional grocery stores to change their the window; you’re not going to get paid because appearances and marketing or lose customers. As there’s nothing to sell. That risk is just inherent in strong as the industry seems, however, organics still farming. We lease all of the land we farm on; we represent only 4 percent of the total domestic grodon’t own anything.” cery economy of nearly $563 billion as of 2010, says Still, there is big money in organic farming. data collected by the Food Marketing Institute. According to the 2011 Organic Trade Associa“For John [Mackey, founder of Whole Foods] tion’s Industry Survey, organic food and beverages it was really important that we put this program accounted for $26.7 billion in sales nationally in in place to help our local partners,” McLean says. 2010, up from $1 billion in 1990. There has been a “When the economy was getting really difficult 7.7 percent total growth over 2009 sales, with fruits back there in 2007 and 2008, John was like ‘Man, and vegetables leading the growth at an almost 12 we’ve got to do something for these local vendors. percent increase. They want to get on their feet, they’re important To maintain its competitive edge, Whole Foods to the local community, and they’re important to Market, which has become synonymous with highWhole Foods.’” end organic food, offers struggling local suppliers Sometimes a loan can be for something as something called the Local Producer Loan Program simple as a truck to take food to the market or to a Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
distributor, a ramp for trucks to pull up for loading, or a new greenhouse roof. All of the LPLP loans are set at 5 percent interest, and the payment plan is worked out to fit the business plan of the vendor, not the store. “If they need seven years to pay off a loan, great, as long as it helps them continue to grow as a local producer or manufacturer of food here in Colorado,” McLean says. Loans aren’t only reserved for farm owners. Pangea Organics, an award-winning organic skincare product company based in Boulder, received a small loan that helped founder Joshua Onysko move from making organic soaps in his garage to selling his products in 18 countries around the world and Whole Foods stores throughout the U.S. Pangea is now reportedly one of the fastest-growing organic skin care product lines in the world. Good health and strong profits may not be the sole ethos of the locally produced, organic market. A strong sense of stewardship also seems to run through many of these businesses. Pangea, for example, helps non-governmental organizations like Women for Women International — an organization devoted to educating and empowering women affected by conflict — runs its offices exclusively on wind-generated power, and supports 45,000 acres of organic farmland worldwide. Another LPLP loan recipient, Full Circle Farms, a farm cooperative effort, has partnered with Boulder County Open Space and other conservation organizations around the nation and in Mexico to help local farmers from going under by offering “artisan groceries” delivered to the doorstep. The farm co-op supports what it calls the “Good Food Life,” organic farming practices that connect the consumer to the landscape through conservation of open space, protecting wildlife and keeping money in the local community. Ideally, it will be the kind of model that engages in a pay-it-forward principle that sustains these businesses and others popping up in their communities. Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 33
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Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
Stop sniffling and sneezing There are local, natural remedies for your allergies by Jefferson Dodge
I
t’s that time of year. You open your window on a warm day, breathe deep, and all of a sudden the itchy, watery eyes and sneezes set in. When allergies strike, there are natural alternatives to Claritin and similar over-the-counter drugs. Boulder herbalist Brigitte Mars suggests reducing the amount of dairy and wheat in one’s diet, because those substances can produce phlegm. Another dietary adjustment involves eating more spicy and pungent foods, like cayenne, ginger and garlic, because those can open up nasal passages. Mars says temporary lifestyle changes as simple as doing errands outside the home in the morning, when pollen counts are lower, might reduce allergy symptoms. Even avoiding drying clothes outside on a line, where they can collect pollen, can make a difference. She also recommends taking a homeopathic remedy that actually includes local pollens, like Allergena Zone 6, because it stimulates an immune response similar to taking a flu vaccine. In addition, Mars advises taking quercetin, a bioflavonoid that is a good vitamin supplement for hayfever, and using a “neti pot,” an Ayurvedic tradition from India that involves flushing out nasal passages with a mixture of water and salt. But one main question in the war against allergies revolves around whether you are currently in the throes of an attack or are simply wanting to prevent the onset of such symptoms. Finding the herbs that are key to your relief may be as simple as reading the ingredients listed on the bottles in
your local health food store. Local herbalist Matthew Becker, an instructor at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism and lead practitioner at the Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy in North Boulder, says there are herbal remedies for both prevention and treatment. For those who want to take a proactive approach to heading off common spring allergy symptoms before they begin, Becker recommends preparing the immune system. And preparing does not necessarily mean boosting. Allergic reactions, he explains, are usually caused by the immune system over-reacting to changes in the environment, so one can take an herbal remedy that simply modulates the immune system’s natural defense mechanisms. Becker recommends a variety of preventative natural cures, especially when Boulder-area trees like poplar and pine are preparing to pollinate. One option is astragalus, and another is nettles, which, taken a week or two before allergy season, can mitigate symptoms, whether imbibed as capsules, tea or a tincture. Another natural medicine that fights allergies is NAC, or N-acytelcystiene, which stimulates glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that the body naturally produces, he says. It is good for respiratory symptoms and detoxifies the liver, among other things. “NAC really works on a lot of levels,” Becker says, adding that NAC is used in hospitals for conditions that vary from congestion to Tylenol overdoses. Becker adds that there are two mushrooms that can be effective for allergies, especially when taken a
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
Xanthium and magnolia flower are other herbs widely used in Chinese medicine for Osha root allergies. Becker says there are a variety of formulas that incorporate the two, including Bi Yan Pian and Magnolia Clear Sinus, which he says is particularly effective. As for Western herbal medicines, he recommends Eyebright, which is found in numerous Reishi mushrooms formulas and is especially good for watery eyes and sinuses. Becker also suggests the use of osha, which is not only effective, but local. It can be found in Colorado above elevations of 8,000 feet, he says, and has been used for hundreds of years by Mexicans and Native Americans. Put two or three dropperfulls of the tincture in a small amount of water, Becker advises, and it can work quickly, especially if taken every month to six weeks before the season couple of hours. sets in: Cordyceps and Reishi.When He also recommends grape seed combined, he says, they can lead to a dramatic decrease in allergy symptoms, extract, tablets that can treat upperrespiratory symptoms within minutes especially asthma. when taken four or five at a time. When it comes to protecting your Like Mars, Becker advises taking kids from allergies, Becker recomquercetin, which he describes as a mends giving children probiotics, at “broad-spectrum, dramatic, powerleast a month in advance, if possible. ful antihistamine” that can be taken But if it’s too late for prevention throughout allergy season if it proves — if symptoms have already deeffective. He recommends taking three scended — there is a whole different tablets three times a day, and adding battery of natural weapons. bromelain into the mix. For those who have a chronic Finally, Becker says two widely inflammatory condition that surfaces known remedies, Echinacea tincture year after year, Becker recommends and vitamin C, can also deter allergy bromelain, a digestive enzyme that’s symptoms, especially when the latter is found in pineapples. It is a powerful ingested at least twice a day in a total anti-inflammatory that must be taken of one to four grams. on an empty stomach, he says, ideally twice a day. Respond: info@boulderganic.com Nettles
March 29, 2012 35
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Boulderganic Spring ’12 Boulder Weekly
How to make your own kombucha
Ryan Danyew
Homebrewer, High Country founder share processes, tips and secrets to their creations by Jessie Lucier
M
ore than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Chinese considered kombucha an immortal health elixir. Some avid drinkers of the fermented tea beverage might say just the same today. In recent years, kombucha has gained widespread popularity among Westerners who drink the brew made from tea, sugar and a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) to help regulate their digestive flora, detoxify their bodies and boost their immune systems and energy levels. Although the scientific community has not validated claims that drinking kombucha leads to better health, there is evidence that what is in kombucha — antioxidants, probiotics, Glucaric acids and trace amounts of B vitamins — is beneficial to the body. “Drinking kombucha is a great way to get balance back into the body,” says Steve Dickman, founder and chief operating officer of High Country Kombucha. “The probiotics in it help balance the flora in the gut — kind of like yogurt — but kombucha is more aggressive than yogurt, so it takes everything to the next level and people really feel the benefits.” In addition to helping to regulate gut flora, Dickman also says that kombucha helps to alkalize the body, like a lemon would. Kombucha is detoxifying, beneficial to the immune system and energizing, and it provides an organic alternative to sugary or caffeine-heavy drinks when people are looking for an energy boost, he says. When choosing a kombucha, it is important to make sure that it is a raw, organic and authentic brew, Dickman
says. Because of kombucha’s increase in popularity, a lot of companies are now labeling their beverages with the name. “If it’s not raw, beware,” says Dickman. “In order to get the benefits, the kombucha must come from an authentic brew — it’s only good if it’s a living culture.” While many brands of kombucha, High Country included, are available in local grocery stores, buying a $3 bottle of the beverage regularly can get pricey. So some kombucha fans have taken on the task of brewing their own. “I started brewing kombucha two years ago,” says local homebrewer Ryan Danyew. “We were drinking it all the time and, for a family of five, that became costly. So, it made sense to start making it.” The process is pretty straightforward and, as long as you follow a recipe and abide by some simple rules, it takes minimal time and effort to get a brew going, Danyew says. And, since the SCOBY replaces itself, which is why it is often referred to as a “mother,” once the process is started, it’s easy to make brew after brew as you work on perfecting your process and making a drink that suits your taste.
HOW TO MAKE KOMBUCHA
What you’ll need: A SCOBY.The SCOBY multiplies each time kombucha is made, so there are many of them literally floating around our community. Danyew suggests asking friends or maybe even looking on Craigslist. Make sure that the SCOBY is delivered to you submerged in kombucha and has been kept refrigerated. Dickman also sug-
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
gests making a SCOBY from a bottle of kombucha. Follow the process outlined below and then, rather than adding a SCOBY, dump a bottle of kombucha into the tea and sugar mixture and a SCOBY will form during fermentation. A glass jar (Danyew suggests starting with a gallon, although you can increase the size of the jar and batch as you become more comfortable with the process.) A wooden spoon (Make sure that no metal is used in the process as metal will kill the live culture.) A pot for boiling water Black tea and flavored tea, if desired Breathable cloth, like cheesecloth (Dickman stresses the importance of bleaching these and rinsing them well to ensure that they are sterile.) A funnel Glass bottles (Save your old kombucha bottles and ask friends to save theirs.) The process (for one gallon): Boil one gallon of water. Remove from heat. Add 4 bags of black tea and 4 bags of flavored tea, like mango or peach, if desired. Add ½ tbsp. sugar. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add the SCOBY and 4 to 5 ounces of kombucha (or a bottle of original flavored kombucha). Cover with a cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Store in a dark place for one to two weeks, checking after a week for taste.The longer the kom-
bucha ferments, the more acidic it will become. Remove the SCOBY, submerge it in kombucha, and refrigerate it. Reuse it quickly, because the longer it sits, the less potent it becomes. Using a funnel, pour the kombucha into bottles. Danyew suggests adding a small amount of sugar to each bottle of the kombucha to help it carbonate. Dickman, however, suggests bottling the brew a bit earlier (when its natural sugar content is higher) and skipping the extra sugar. Adding more sugar can literally make the brew explosive. Put the bottles in the refrigerator and let sit for about four days before drinking. Because the kombucha is alive, it will continue to ferment and become more acidic with age.While it will never go bad, the taste will be compromised over time, so it’s best consumed within a couple of months. While black or green tea must always be used because the culture feeds off the caffeine and tannins in those teas, there’s room for a little experimentation in the process, like adding a little maple syrup or juice when bottling. “It’s fun,” says Danyew. “Just remember to start simple and, once you’re comfortable, increase your batch size and experiment. And take notes. Always take notes.You definitely want to be able to recreate a great batch.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 37
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Hadley Vandiver
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rom detoxifying diets to juice fasts, different dietary cleanses abound, claiming to rid your system of toxins and help you lose weight. People who regularly cleanse say they feel better, look thinner and think more clearly after a cleanse. But some dietitians argue that your body does all the cleansing it needs on its own. So why do people cleanse in the first place? People choose to cleanse for a variety of ailments, says Susan Van Raes, nutritional therapist, life coach and owner of Boulder Nutrition. People cleanse to achieve weight loss goals, to alleviate body pain or inflammation that could be related to autoimmune disease or arthritis, to combat high cholesterol and high blood pressure, to relieve digestive issues, and even when recovering from surgery or chemotherapy, she says. “I think that, honestly, our cells are just so bogged down with toxins that everything is just not functioning at its optimal rate,” Van Raes says. “It could be mentally, it could be deep in the digestive track, it could be in the colon. There’s many things that toxicity interferes with, and you just need to get all that stuff out of your body.” The cleanse that Van Raes uses is one she developed that blends a number of different medicinal philosophies. She incorporates some elements of Western clinical nutrition by using a “whole foods-based” diet with nutritional foods, such as oatmeal or nuts, to keep the blood sugar stable. Herbs such as fennel, peppermint, pau d’arco and burdock root, which encourage digestion, and ionic minerals, such as selenium, are used to aid in cellular detoxification,Van Raes says. The cleanse also employs Chinese medicine principles, which means that fruits and vegetables vary seasonally. For example, baby greens, kale, dandelion greens and spinach are encouraged in spring, while squash, apples, carrots, pears and squashes are usually reserved for the fall. Each season focuses on cleansing a different organ,Van Raes says, with
A few of the ingredients recommended for a cleanse
To cleanse or not to cleanse Opinions vary in the detox debate by Hadley Vandiver liver being the focus of spring and lungs in the fall. “I cleanse three or four times a year at least,” Van Raes says. “And I find that I have more energy, and I sleep better. The most obvious symptom, to me, is I have this really different sense of mental clarity when I cleanse. I feel like my mind and my thoughts are so clear, and I’m really productive when I’m working and then I can relax better when I’m not working. I just always feel the best that I can feel. I truly stand behind it.” Dr. John Douillard, owner of the LifeSpa Ayurvedic Retreat Center in Boulder, developed the two-weeklong Colorado Cleanse after living in India for eight years and working with Deepak Chopra. The first four days of the Colorado Cleanse are known as the digestive reset, Douillard says. Participants eat no dairy, no nuts, no wheat products and very little fat. Cleansers in this phase are encouraged to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, beets and zucchini. These first four days of the cleanse are designed to prepare the digestive channels of the body before the process of detoxification begins. “If we just go ahead and do a detox, and don’t recognize that there’s a reason why the cells got toxic in
Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Spring ’12
the first place, then we just move the toxins from one fat cell to another and never really address the reason why the body got toxic,” Douillard says. “So this cleanse is an ayurvedic, holistic, complete cleanse where we do a real thorough kind of reset of every aspect of digestion, and a reset of the detoxification ability, and then when we do the detox, your body knows what to do with those toxins.” In the next seven days of the cleanse, participants eat clarified butter, also known as ghee, in the morning, and then eat a “completely no-fat diet for the rest of the day,” Douillard says. This no-fat diet focuses on khichadi, made of split yellow moong dahl beans and white basmati rice. “Because you have that clarified butter in the morning, your body is forced to go into fat-burning mode,” Douillard says. “And then when you have no fat in your diet, your body has to burn its own fat.” Participants in Colorado Cleanse eat three full meals a day, they do not end the cleanse starving and wanting to binge, says Douillard, a self-professed ravenous eater. “The problem is that as a culture, not only do we get toxic, but we have become really lousy fat burners,” Douillard says. “Our culture has become fat,
we’ve become overweight, and we’ve started eating lots of sugars and carbs and nibbling every two to three hours. The body has lost its ability to make energy last for many hours because it’s conditioned to eat meals every two to three hours because we’re grazing and snacking all the time.” By participating in a cleanses throughout the year, Douillard says the body becomes a better fat-burner, allowing a person to keep energy for longer, sleep more soundly and experience fewer issues with blood sugar levels. Both Douillard and Van Raes say that quick fixes and extreme fasts are not the way to go about losing weight or helping your body become healthier. “Fasts have been going on in this world for thousands and thousands of years, and they might work for some people, but I don’t think they are a good entry point for someone who is coming off of a mainstream diet,” Van Raes says. “I think that a) they’re going to have way too much resistance, and b) their body’s going to be in shock. Fasting can definitely be dangerous if it’s not done correctly, so being supervised is important.” Rather than choosing to do a fast or cleanse that might involve days without food, they suggest that more natural, simple cleanses can help reset the body. By eating a clean and healthy diet of foods such as fruits, vegetables and proteins, like lean meats or nuts, our bodies can usually detoxify themselves well enough on their own, says Cathy Hayes-Daly, certified nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Power in Boulder. “Your liver needs food, everything needs energy in order to work well,” Hayes-Daly says. “And we have no control over where that energy comes from.” There is little concrete evidence about whether fasting and cleansing works or doesn’t work, Hayes-Daly says, and it is necessary to be careful and conscious of your own bodily health when looking into drastically changing your diet, even if only for a week. Respond: info@boulderganic.com March 29, 2012 39
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