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FALL 2015

Bringing self-sufficiency

Coffee Craze What’s brewing this winter in Boulder County?

• Surviving the non-farmers’ market season • A local nonprofit wants to make your home more sustainable • Colorado climate change forecast • The tussock moth invasion and how to fight back • The good in letting food go ‘bad’ All this and more!

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FALL 2015 Staff Publisher, Stewart Sallo Special Editions Editor, Caitlin Rockett Advertising Director, Jeff Cole Director of Operations/ Controller, Benecia Beyer Circulation Manager, Cal Winn

Editorial Editor, Joel Dyer Associate Editors, Angela K.Evans, Matt Cortina, Amanda Moutinho

The endless possibilities of autumn Susan France

Kim Seufert, management & accounting employee for The Unseen Bean Cafe in Boulder, displays a selection of African Malawi beans.

Sales Retail Sales Manager, Allen Carmichael Senior Account Executive, David Hasson Account Executive, Julian Bourke Market Development Manager, Kellie Robinson Inside Sales Representative, Jason Myers Marketing Coordinator, Marrissa Sanchez Mrs. Boulder Weekly, Mari Nevar

Production Production Manager, Dave Kirby Art Director, Susan France Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman

General & Administrative Assistant to the Publisher, Julia Sallo Office Manager, Andrea Neville Circulation Team, Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ouslie, Rick Slama 15-Year-Old, Mia Rose Sallo

contents: Food & Garden 5

Surviving the nonfarmers’ market season; Coffee trends in Boulder County

Environmental Issues 13 Make your home more sustainable; protect your trees from the Tussock moth

Sustainability 23

AC to DC saves energy; Boulder craft brewers keep it green

Health & Fitness 27

t can be hard to watch summer fade — those long days of sunshine seem to signal endless possibilities, awakening the child in each of us. But when we let go of summer, we realize there’s something equally exciting in the chilly autumn air. As the leaves burst in vibrant colors and eventually fall to the ground, we often feel compelled to turn our attention inward and reflect on our year so far. The smell of autumn — a blend of smoke from chimneys, decomposing leaves and impending snow — reminds of us things past, like first days of school, and gives us a glimpse of things to come, like the holidays. Cooler weather also brings the season’s harvest, and as such, our fall issue of Boulderganic places food front and center. Within these pages we offer tips on having fresh produce even after the farmers’ market closes for the season; we look at what local coffee roasters and brewers around the county will be serving up this winter; we also examine how Boulder County goes beyond federal mandates to provide nutritious lunches for students. Craft brewers around Boulder County took some time to tell us how they manage to make delicious beer while employing environmentally conscious practices. And author Sandor Katz explains the benefits of fermented foods. But as always, we didn’t stop with food.You’ll find stories about how to protect trees around your property from the Douglas-fir tussock moth and how one local nonprofit can help you make your home more sustainable. In the Health and Fitness section we’re proud to share stories about improving women’s health and how meditation can help students achieve more in school and in life. Ultimately, we think we’ve provided a little something for everyone. It’s our pleasure to share this issue of Boulderganic with you, and we hope you’ll keep an issue on the coffee table to peruse during those upcoming chilly evenings. Perhaps these stories will serve as a reminder that while summer may be gone, there are still endless opportunities. Thanks, as always, for reading. We hope you enjoy.

Meditate on this; Funky foods are good for you

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

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Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

Farm to frozen: Eating local throughout the winter How to survive the non farmers’ market season by Noel Phillips

alifornians just might have something Canned foods are convenient and have a long to lord over dwellers of the Rocky shelf life. But the risk of botulism from improper Mountains: year-round farmers’ canning techniques is a danger; and the foods lose markets. Fresh produce, abundantly that farm-fresh flavor. Grandma’s jar of canned displayed in colorful rows, lines the beans in the pantry will never taste as good as stalls from January to December. It’s far easier to those picked directly off the vine. “eat local” when the local flavors are so readily PICKLING: There are four common types available at any time of the year. of pickling: quick, vinegar-brined, salt-brined and For those of us living, well, anywhere else, fermented. Certain fruits and vegetables lend autumn brings not only cooler temperatures and themselves more favorably to one method over shorter days, but the knowledge that farmers’ mar- another, so make sure to research the methods ket season is drawing to a sad close. Crates are thoroughly, especially for fruits, as they often do packed up, stalls are dismantled and buyers find not taste good soaked in salt or vinegar. themselves trying to snatch up Cru Cafe The basics of the pickling the last zucchinis before the methods involve soaking food person next to them. Somein an acidic solution. The acid times elbows are thrown. is high enough that the risk of Things can get ugly. bacterial growth is much lower The farming community than in traditional canning braces for a cold, long winter methods. The fermentation leaving those of us with the method has the added benefit desire to eat fresh, local of providing a source of ‘good’ produce frowning in concern bacteria to the prepared food, and feeling desperate. Forimportant for healthy guts. tunately, though, with just a Fermenting can even increase little bit of forethought and nutritional value by both addsome planning, winter need ing nutrients and by breaking not be a time to miss out down difficult to digest nutrion the labors of the farmers ents into more readily available around Boulder. It’s not that forms. But, while pickling, like difficult to take advantage of canning, increases a food’s shelf Canning fresh fruits and vegetables is a local produce year round with good option for winter consumption. life, the fruits and vegetables some creative preservation will be pickled, and will taste as options. Canning, pickling, such. There’s a reason a pickled cold storage, drying and freezing ensure fresh cucumber is no longer called a cucumber. They farm-to-table vegetables year round in spite of the don’t exactly taste the same. snow-covered terrain outside the window. COLD STORAGE: Root cellars often call to CANNING: Canning is perhaps the most labor mind the days of Little House on the Prairie, but intensive of the food preservation practices. In the for good reason. In colder climates, such as our canning process, foods are placed in jars or cans and Rocky Mountain locale, locating a suitable area then heated to a temperature high enough to defor cellaring requires very little imagination. stroy bacteria and deactivate enzymes in the plants. The key to cold storage is creating a space with As the jar cools, it creates a vacuum seal under the suitable humidity, light conditions, air flow and lid, locking out dangerous bacteria. Generally, there temperature. This can be a section of the baseare two safe ways to can. For acidic foods, such as ment, a pit dug especially for this purpose, or an fruits (yes, this includes tomatoes) and cucumbers, a elaborate separate structure. For best practices, water bath method, in which the jars are submerged a dark, humid room with temperatures just above in boiling water, can be used safely. For vegetables, freezing will be best for preserving food for utilizing a specialized pressure canner is recommend- several months. ed. Look around for used ones, as new pressure Root vegetables are the obvious choices for canners can be quite expensive. cellaring, but even pears, melons, apples and tomaBoulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

toes can be cellared safely. Some vegetables, such as squashes, will require curing beforehand. As with all food preservation methods make sure to investigate additional preparation techniques to ensure high quality, long-lasting and safe fare. DRYING: Drying foods has been practiced around the world for thousands of years and is perhaps one of the easiest options for preparing fresh produce for storage. There is generally very little preparation involved, and although the textures of the plants will be in no way similar to fresh, the flavors and nutrients are preserved rather well. Foods may be dried in the oven, in a dehydrator or even under the sun. Dried foods can be stored in the freezer or in air tight containers at room temperature. Often lemon juice is added to fruits prior to drying in order to prevent discoloration and spoilage. And, when in a pinch for some fresh, plump apricots, for example, their dried counterparts can be pulled from the freezer and soaked in water, regaining their normal constitution quite easily. FREEZING: Like drying, very little preparation is required to freeze fruits and vegetables. Along with drying, freezing is perhaps the best method for preserving flavor. And compared to dried foods, texture is better preserved in the freezing process. Vegetables will typically require blanching before tossing them in the freezer. Blanching is a quick, easy process in which veggies are dropped into boiling water for a short amount of time and then cooled quickly in ice water before drying and then storing in air tight bags. Fruits can often simply be frozen directly, or after adding lemon juice to preserve color. Freezing, with its lack of preparation, work and then hassle over regulating temperature and humidity is the preferred choice in storing local harvests through the winter months. Nothing beats savoring raspberries and peaches in the middle of winter. And knowing they were grown locally adds to the enjoyment! Do the research into the different methods and figure out the best techniques for each fruit or vegetable, along with your storage limitations and needs. Start preserving the produce as early as possible — plan a weekend for it, and then sit back and gaze at the stockpile of pickled radishes, canned tomatoes, dried strawberries, fresh pumpkins and frozen carrots sure to satisfy those mid-winter cravings for farm fresh flavors. Respond: info@boulderganic.com September 24, 2015 5

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Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

Good to the last drop

Hilary Clark

A look at Boulder County’s love for coffee By Renee Moen

offee; there are hymns sung about it, altars erected to it and shops dedicated to it on every corner of the globe. Coffee madness has engulfed the United States. With a calculation of more than 400 million cups consumed on a daily basis, Americans hold the title of most caffeinated country in the world. Most coffee consumers are particular about their cup o’ joe. With so many roasts available in specialty stores, it’s difficult not to be choosy. It’s no longer a question of light, medium or dark roast but one of region and method used to dry the beans. When did the madness start? When did America become a nation of coffee snobs, and how is Boulder County making their mark in the coffee industry? The first wave of coffee fanaticism began in 1773 after the taxation of tea. In full-on rebellion, Colonials began drinking coffee, thumbing their nose at Mother England. Fastforward 200 years to Peet’s Coffee. They opened a little shop in Berkeley which still stands today. Peet’s made a small splash before the largest international chain, the one named after a character in Moby Dick, was launched into the coffee stratosphere. Boulder had its own first with a little known store front called Brewing Market. In 1977, Artine Yapoujian opened the first Brewing Market. Learning the art of coffee roasting from his family in Lebanon,Yapoujian brought his knowledge and passion to the people of Boulder. Today there are five Brewing Markets throughout Boulder County: three in Boulder, two in Longmont and one in Lafayette. Sharon Hudson, general

manager of the Longmont Hover Street location, says the company takes great care to make sure the customer gets the best of the best. “We have a team that visits the farms we get our beans from,” she says. Hudson points to a board with 37 roasts listed. “Enjoy the Rwanda while you can; it’s a seasonal blend.” But what makes a proper cup of coffee? Don’t all beans taste the same? Actually, when it comes to coffee beans, there is a vast difference between generic and gourmet. The look of the beans before and after roasting can be a good clue as to whether they will produce a great cup of coffee, but looks are not the only defining factor. Just ask Gary Leary who founded the Unseen Bean in 2003. Blind since birth, Leary didn’t let his lack of sight deter him from learning how to make an amazing cup of coffee. Both smell and taste can be better predictors of a beans quality than how it looks. Leary opened his first storefront in 2007 and has expanded his operation to include a roasting facility in Lafayette. Kimme Jean Seufert, the Unseen Bean’s manager, says the Miz Susan blend, a combination of African and South American beans, is by far a crowd favorite. Various blends from Africa will be a seasonal delight this winter, including those from Malawi and Sumatra. When trying to decide between light, medium or dark roast, perhaps the best question is how much caffeine does one prefer? Surprisingly, it’s the lighter roast that carries the highest caffeine content. Darker roasts, such as French or Italian, offer less acidity and a bolder flavor. Even the craft beer industry is getting in on America’s love of coffee.

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

Tamas Christman created Dragonfly Coffee in 2011 as a way to foster economic growth in small coffee farms.

The brewers at Oskar Blues decided to turn their golden touch onto coffee, with some great results. According to Head Roaster Derek Palmer, the first cans of Hotbox Coffee were offered in October 2014 with fun blends such as Kenya Diggit, Bolivia Newton John and its most popular blend, Frank Sumatra. These can be found in Lucky’s Market both in Boulder and Longmont, Peppercorn Market on Pearl Street and soon will be appearing at Whole Foods stores around the Rocky Mountain region. Palmer went on to say that customers can look forward to a new blend, the French Press of Bel Air. Hotbox Coffee, roasted in Longmont, will also offer a cold brew option in the coming months. Regional beans vary in taste. Coffee beans grown in Hawaii will taste different than the beans from Ethiopia even when a similar roasting process is used. Beans vary widely due to climate, soil and processing techniques. In certain regions beans are washed: in others they are dried first. Monsoon rains or dry desert heat will no doubt have an influence on the flavor of the raw bean. Shadegrown coffees tend to be slightly sweeter than those raised to bask in the sun. Altitude also seems to affect taste. Ethiopian coffee is

grown at a higher elevation (5,000 feet) and tends to be more flavorful than say a coffee blend grown in Hawaii. Tamas Christman had a vision when he started Dragonfly coffee in 2011: to offer exceptional coffee while fostering economic growth to small coffee farms. Working with 30 different farms, Christman presents Dragonfly Coffee as a “farm-to-table” business. Limited, seasonal offerings include the highly rated Yemin Haraaz coffee (which scored 94 points in Coffee Review) and highly anticipated Dragonfly Lot Bags from the Elida Estate. The estate is run by the Lamastus family, who have been growing coffee in Panama since 1918. Christman alluded to a couple of other holiday surprises and asks patrons to keep an eye on the company website. Dragonfly Coffee blends can be found at Lucky’s Market, Alfalfa’s Market and their website. Americans are truly a caffeinefueled, coffee-addicted society. One survey found that 55 percent of drinkers polled would rather gain 10 pounds than give up their addiction. However one chooses to drink it — black, with cream and sugar, a twist of lemon, latte or frappachino — as long as the coffee flows freely, America will be a happier, more alert society. Respond: info@boulderganic.com September 24, 2015 7

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Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

Maalikah Hartley

Third graders, Dylin Schott (right) and Hunter Sherrit (left) eat lunch at Douglass Elementary School on Monday, Aug. 31, 2015.

Second grader, Mateo Murphey has a meatball sub, watermelon, beans and quinoa for lunch at Douglass Elementary School.

Is school food better than it was five years ago? BVSD takes part in federal lunch program while going beyond its nutritional standards by Maalikah Hartley

fter the implementation of the controversial Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which updated food nutrition standards in public schools for the first time in 30 years, Boulderganic decided to travel to Douglass Elementary School to see how the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) is faring with its school lunch. While taking part in the federal program, BVSD, compared to the rest of the nation, could be playing a whole different ball game thanks to their Food Services Director Ann Cooper, a/k/a “The Renegade Chef,” who founded the Chef Ann Foundation. The national Chef Ann Foundation’s mission is to progress school cafeterias from serving highly processed, unhealthy food to serving fresh, scratch-cooked meals. “We’re much better. We serve

hormone and antibiotic-free beef and chicken, organic milk; we have salad bars in every school, stuff like that. Everything is cooked from scratch,” Chef Ann says. It’s a late August morning, just at the start of the school year, and on today’s menu at Douglass Elementary the kids are given a choice between natural pepperoni pizza or a natural meatball sub. The next station is a fruit and salad bar containing spring mix (which is organic), black and cannellini beans, grape tomatoes, a quinoa mixture, watermelon and cantaloupe. For drinks there is Horizon Organic 1% Low Fat Milk, rBGH-free skim milk from Meadow Gold or water. According to federal regulations, the five required foods to be served are a meat or meat alternate (the cheese on the pizza today), a grain (being the meatball roll or crust today), a fruit, a vegetable and fluid milk.

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

“They don’t have to take all five meal components; they have to take at least three. One of which must be a fruit or vegetable. That is a new USDA regulation,” says Deb Trevor, BVSD food services manager and dietician. “Which is great — we love that they are required to take a fruit or a vegetable because that’s what we’re all about is the fruits and vegetables here.” Trevor is moving around the lunchroom enthusiastically checking in with kitchen staff and talking with kids about their fruit and vegetable intake. However, a study published in Public Health Reports, conducted by researcher Sarah Amin from the University of Vermont, came out this August showing that students are actually wasting 56 percent of their required fruits and vegetables and that consumption is actually down 13 percent after the federal regulation went into place. “It’s already been debunked,” Chef

Ann says. “I can’t say what’s happening in every school. For us we see fruit and vegetable intake go up and that’s because we have such a strong educational component.” Every month the BVSD schools have a “Harvest of the Month” where local farm produce is served a few times a month. In August it was Colorado peaches and local squash, and for September it is local tomatoes and corn. According to Trevor, the fruits and vegetables are procured from local farms when possible as they fluctuate with the season. The school’s produce is also procured from Freshpack Produce in Denver. As far as meat, BVSD sources from Anderson Boneless Beef Company in Denver (where today’s meatballs are from) and Boulder Natural Meats, among other local farms, which can all be found on the website food.bvsd.org. While Trevor says between 30 and see SCHOOL LUNCH Page 10

September 24, 2015 9

Nourish your Body, Feed your Soul

Maalikah Hartley

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Sprouted, seasonal, wholly delicious vegan food. Cur rent Hours @ juliaskitchen.co 3980 Broadway, Boulder • juliaskitchen.co • 720-389-5578 Lunch lady Linda Anderson serves students at Doulgass Elementary School a protein option of a meatball sub or pepperoni pizza for lunch. SCHOOL LUNCH from Page 9

40 percent of all the food is locally sourced, when it has to travel further and from other food companies, she makes sure that it passes a taste test, has a clean label and has been minimally processed. “There’s no high fructose corn syrup, there’s no trans fats, there’s no preservatives, there’s no additives, there’s no color,” Trevor says. “So for example we get our [pizza] crust from a company in Texas called Alpha Foods. They’re probably a mediumsize company, but their label is clean.” Using the acquired raw ingredients, entrees are cooked from scratch in three different school production kitchens in Boulder County, chilled,

packed and shipped out the same day to schools for re-heating the following day. Around 3,000 to 4,000 meals are made each day, according to Trevor. “So these meatballs were cooked off at the production kitchen, packed in sauce yesterday — well, Friday morning — then my drivers picked them up, delivered them Friday afternoon, and then they were heated and served today (Monday),” Trevor explains. “So it really means that everybody’s got to be on their game.” This is in stark contrast to how many of the schools involved in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are getting their food. According to a recent study by the Phy-

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• Gives USDA the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods regularly sold in schools during the school day. • Provides additional funding to schools that meet updated nutritional standards for federally-subsidized lunches. • Helps communities establish local farm-to-school networks, create school gardens and ensures that more local foods are used in the school setting. • Builds on USDA work to improve nutritional quality of commodity foods that schools receive from USDA and use in their breakfast and lunch programs. • Expands access to drinking water in schools, particularly during meal times. Source: www.whitehouse.gov Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

sicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, titled Who’s Making Money from Overweight Kids?, while the NSLP encourages fruit and vegetable consumption, a handful of big food corporations such as Tyson Food Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and Cherry Meat Packers Inc. are dominating business with the USDA. The companies serve highly processed meat and dairy products in schools while labeling them as nutritious and dominate advertisements in the School Nutrition Association’s School Nutrition magazine. Trevor says schools can spend funds known as commodity entitlement dollars, which are provided through the USDA on “brown box” items (such as burger patties and frozen corn), processing (for example sending a raw, whole chicken to a factory to be processed into nuggets) or to purchase fresh produce through the Department of Defense (DOD) Fresh program. “We choose to allocate part of our commodity entitlement dollars to DOD, which allows us to purchase domestic fresh produce,” Trevor says. “We send out bids every year on specific ingredients in order to purchase local, quality ingredients for our school breakfast and lunch. Examples of some items we went to bid for this summer include bulk ground beef, beef patties, raw fresh bone in chicken, tamales, bagels, tortillas.” Newer meals on the menu for the 2015-16 school year include kashmiri rice with sweet chili tofu, baked chicken strips with biscuit,Thai chicken curry bowl, cheese calzone and eggplant parmesan among many others. All BVSD school meals, along with vegetarian and gluten-free options, are posted daily on the food. bvsd.org website. Also found on the website are BVSD nutrition education programs like “Rainbow Days,” where students are encouraged to use colors of the rainbow in making their salad, and the second annual “BVSD Harvest Festival,” which introduces students to their local farmers and hosts garden demos.

Nutritional information is also readily available on the website for each menu item including serving size, portion, calories, carbs, total fat, protein and fiber. Sugar, however, is not listed.

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

Without more federal funding, it is hard to see a menu that can be fully organic and pesticide-free, Chef Ann says. And while BVSD is going beyond what the USDA says is “nutritional,” there is still more work to be done in achieving

better nutrition and it has to start in the classroom, she says. “I would like to see food literacy as part of the core curriculum in every state in the country.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service

Adult male (left) and female (right) Douglas-fir tussock moth. Females have no wings and must lay eggs high off the ground to avoid predators.

An adult female Douglas-fir tussock moth on top of an egg mass.

Tussock moth invasion

Colorado may be at the beginning of a multi-year infestation that’s destroying Douglas-fir trees — but there are ways to fight back by Andrew Richard Sander

f the tops of your Douglas-fir trees are looking a little bare and brown, there’s a possibility the Douglas-fir tussock moth has moved into your neighborhood. The caterpillars can come in and destroy parts of a forest in what residents claim to feel like just a day or so. “One day, we were just driving along, we looked up and the trees that are normally green were brown, and it was just shocking,” says Boulder resident Diana Meyer. The Colorado State Forest Service has reported that Douglas-fir trees growing on roughly 2,500 acres in the foothills are currently experiencing defoliation caused by the Douglas-fir tussock moth and caterpillar. The insect feeds off the needles of fir trees and experts say damage by the pest can result in a high degree of mortality in severely affected trees. Due to natural variables, outbreaks occur years and even decades apart. During the beginning of Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

an outbreak, the tussock moths lay egg masses on trees and even on the sides of nearby houses, which are easily visible. The moths spend the winter as an egg within the mass. Eggs hatch in late spring, often in May when the tree buds begin to break. The small and hairy caterpillars begin to migrate and move upwards within the tree. They are extremely mobile and can actually stand straight up, allowing them to move from branch to branch easily. The caterpillars consume needles off the top edges of fir trees in early spring, first feeding off of newer foliage. The half-eaten needles will then weaken and turn brown and possibly fall off the tree. “They start off eating the newest growth and then they work their way to the oldest growth,” says Ben Pfohl, assistant district forester with the Colorado State Forest Service Boulder District. In doing so, the tussock moths eliminate the fir trees’ ability to photosynthesize, the process by which trees covert light energy from the sun into

chemical energy that can later be released to fuel their activities. By August, the larvae reach their full size and can consume the entire upper crown of the tree, leaving them bare and completely needless.Then they migrate away from the infested tree and look for their next host plant to occupy until the next season begins in April or May. Many trees may survive partial defoliation — even after an entire branch no longer has needles. Small needles that look dead can produce fresh buds and even the barest of trees can make it through the season and start to grow again next season. A tree can usually put out new growth and survive the following year, but with repeated defoliation, a tree will die. Additionally, damage from tussock moths can make trees more susceptible to bark beetle attacks as the trees are already in a weakened state. see MOTH Page 14

September 24, 2015 13

Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service

Egg mass and early instar larvae of Douglas-fir tussock moth

MOTH from Page 13

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is a rash, which occurs when the skin The moth is not only a danger to is exposed to the larval hairs. In addifir trees but to humans as well. tion, people exposed to more heavy The tussock moth gets its name populations of the moth can develop from the tufts of hair that can be Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service respiratory tract found on their symptoms. bodies. According to “Hairs found Pfohl, the tussock on the caterpilmoth caterpillars and cocoons lars are affecting can cause severe 2,500 acres in allergic reactions Colorado and he in some people believes that this who come into is the start of an direct contact outbreak. with them, so While those who live, outbreaks are work and recrerelatively short ate in affected — two to four areas should take years — they can caution,” Pfohl be very damaging warns. when they occur. The most Once egg masses common hatch, the cycle symptom of starts again; so, this condition, If your Douglas-fir trees are starting to the best way to formally known look brown and bare on the top, you stop an infestaas “tussockosis,” might have a tussock moth infestation. Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

tion is to destroy the eggs early before they have a chance to hatch and circulate around the area. When tussock moth outbreaks become severe and large numbers of trees are being destroyed, it may be necessary to intervene with an insecticide. Only during the most extreme outbreaks are helicopters used to release pesticides over a small area of the most infected trees. The conditions have to be just right to use a helicopter drop as the pesticides could be blown away easily if there is a strong breeze and other parts of the environment could be inadvertently destroyed. If residents are considering going the route of spraying a pesticide, treehelp.com recommends standard chemical insecticides such as acephate (Orthene), cyfluthrin (Tempo), bifenthrin (Talstar), fluvalinate (Mavrik) or carbaryl (Sevin), applied when the new foliage first appears, and providing good control. The pesticides used to control these outbreaks are harmful to the environment and therefore are only recommended for the most dangerous of outbreaks — always check first to see which pesticides are legal in your area. Consulting with a local, licensed tree-care company before taking any action is the best option. Without these interventions, the majority of tussock moths die because they fail to find a host plant.The larvae/ caterpillar need a host plant, off the ground away from predators, to spin their cocoons or they will not be able to survive. Female tussock moths do not have wings, and therefore can’t fly, making it critical for them to find a host plant high off the ground where predators can’t reach them. Natural predators of the tussock moths include birds, large ground beetles and, most notably, a virus known as “wilt disease,” which generally reduce populations within a few years. The infestation doesn’t occur every summer but is hard to treat once the cycle has begun, so it’s important to control the larvae just after the eggs have hatched. During the outbreak this year in Colorado, the caterpillars have been

feeding since May and are migrating from affected trees to areas where they will spin their cocoon and turn into adult moths. Spraying is not recommended after the larvae season, and most of the defoliation has already occurred. Colorado residents that

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

are currently experiencing defoliation should not panic now unless many of their trees are completely bare. At this point, residents generally should wait until spring to try to get ahead of the tussock moths and destroy next season’s eggs before they hatch.

It looks as though the summer of 2015 may be the beginning of a multi-year infestation, so make sure you’re ready for another possibly insect ridden season when spring rolls around. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

September 24, 2015 15

Nicole McNulty

Permaculture garden covered in wood chips at the Smart Home Center.

The open den and office space in the loft.

Pickup truck battery bank.

Living and learning lab

A local nonprofit wants to help people make homes more sustainable and create a more environmentally conscious generation. by Nicole McNulty

ustainability has become a buzzword of the 21st century as it saturates public discussion. Most know being sustainable is vital to the continuance of human life as oceans rise, the climate changes and humanity hits the panic button. Still, too many people are left asking: how can I personally change my living situation to be more sustainable? Others simply don’t think they can feasibly afford to alter their homes to be more environmentally conscious. In this confusion, one man has found his footing. Paul Williamson, energy aficionado and former dean at the University of Montana, opened the Sustainable Smart Home Learning and Demonstration Center in Superior, Colorado, in June 2015. The living learning lab is designed to show people different ways in which they can implement sustainable living and self-sufficiency into their homes. Williamson founded his nonprofit, Sustainable Systems of Colorado, in 2010 and the Smart Home Center is just one of the projects he has been working on. “People can come and see that it’s not really rocket science,” Williamson says. “People can learn best when they can see it, touch it, feel it and kick it.” Virtually every element in the house has two or more purposes. Solar, wind, geothermal and hydrogen energy sources are present in the learn16 September 24, 2015

ing center in addition to a deep-cycle, lead-acid battery back up, which can store energy from the solar panels. All are controlled by electronic remotes, which will eventually be replaced by a single television unit mounted on the wall to ensure the average person can confidently and easily select which type of energy they want to utilize. Four skylights are also on the roof, two of which automatically open and close when it is raining and will, in the future, open when the temperature is too high. Three stories tall, the house has an east-west orientation with southern exposure to maximize the efficiency of the solar panels on the roof. The house is not yet finished, but it will have three bathrooms and four to six bedrooms, including the second-story loft. Rectangular in shape, the learning center is long with the loft taking up threequarters of the space and then opening up to the high-ceilinged living room. The loft consists of an office space and a master bedroom with angulated ceilings and a multitude of storage space. All of the wood in the house, aside from the beams in the living room, is Colorado beetle-kill, an easy and environmentally conscious way to avoid wasting trees, and it also gives the floors a gray-streaked look. Williamson began construction on the learn-

ing center in spring 2014 and has built everything by himself, other than placing the solar panels on the roof, pouring the concrete and installing the drywall, which he hired crews to do. The 68-yearold self-declared workaholic spared no attention to detail in this learning center, which he has been living in since he received the Certificate of Occupation in June 2015. The whole house is wired with both the typical alternating current (AC) electricity, as well as direct current (DC) electricity. Eventually, Williamson hopes to convert all to DC electricity in order to route energy directly from the solar panels without having to convert the power to AC. In addition, all of the lights in the learning center are LEDs, which consume 90 percent less power than incandescent bulbs. The learning center, which has received positive support from the Superior community, also has a variety of features designed to regulate the internal temperature of the dwelling, eliminating the need for air conditioning and conventional heat. Footers, on which the foundation is built, have insulation between themselves and the ground, prohibiting the cold from cooling the house down in the winter. Most of the basement floor is a heat sink floor, which stores, then releases heat when needed, which costs less than a furnace. Underneath the basement floor is a layer of dirt on top of which sits Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

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a series of corrugated pipes and rocks mined from the foundation.The pipes circulate air while the rocks transfer heat to the house. A root cellar occupies one corner of the basement, which stores fruits and vegetables grown in the permaculture garden in the backyard.This portion of the floor is normal concrete to keep it as cool as possible. In place of an air conditioner, Williamson installed a geothermal system, which directs air from the ground at a consistent 54 degrees through corrugated tubes that circulate through a series of metal pipes in the basement. These pipes function like a car radiator, and the air is circulated with a furnace fan. The learning lab is also fashioned with a tankless hot water heater that regulates the temperature of the water sent to it by a solar hot water heater. Colorado companies donated many features of the Center, including the solar hot water heater. Williamson, who received his doctorate in technology education from West Virginia University, created the basement walls of the learning center with insulated concrete forms and the upstairs walls are built with structurally insulated panels, both of which are made of dense foam and have a high insulating factor, as does the roof. While the insulation in the roof deters the heat, the two inch gap between the metal and the insulation allows air to circulate into pipes that go into the basement floor to heat the house and also into the driveway to melt snow in the winter, which saves time and the cost of buying salt. “My bent has always been toward the new and the innovative, whether it was programs or people or technology for colleges or universities. Those are the things I enjoy,” Williamson says. Fascinatingly, solar panels on the roof send their energy to the battery bank in the garage that just so happens to be an electric pick-up truck. The deep-cycle, lead-acid batteries in the car are charged by the solar panels and that energy can then be utilized to power the house once the

sun goes down. In the garage there is also a hydrogen fuel cell with 1,000 watts of capability and two inverters that change electrical currents from DC to AC. A father and prior-educator, Williamson understands that “everything has a cost, so there are some things people can implement very quickly and easily and with relatively little or no expense, and then there are other things that need long-term planning. “If I can just get every person who visits to implement one thing then we can start the ball rolling in the right direction,” he says. An easy start is a permaculture garden, which means the garden is a permanent source of food. Williamson’s garden is currently covered in a layer of plastic and wood chips to kill weeds by spring 2016, but he intends to grow fruits and vegetables along with wheat to make his own flour. Once the garden is up and running, Williamson wants to show high school students and kids how to run a permaculture garden to create a sustainable generation. In the middle of the garden is a futuristic-looking wind turbine with three arms, which allow it to catch wind no matter the direction it’s coming from. The house is covered in brown siding which absorbs more heat than lighter colors and the charcoal-colored roof has the lowest reflectivity rating, and, when combined with the argon-filled, double pane windows, it’s hard to say if this house could possibly be more energy efficient. Open houses will be held the first and third Saturday of each month to educate interested people on how they can take steps to improve the energy efficiency of their own houses. To add, the dwelling is barrier-free to eliminate falls and the closet can also be converted into an elevator, which will be useful, Williamson says, when he reaches his goal of being 120-years-old. At 68-years-old, given his passion and investment in this project, it seems likely he’ll reach this goal, or at least get close to it. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

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Climate change in Colorado

On the forecast: longer summers, shorter springs and heat by Mollie Putzig Steve Zumwalt/FEMA Library

Weather Channel report from mid-July ranked Denver No. 7 in a list of U.S. cities most at risk because of climate change. The Denver entry reads, “In some iterations of this list, with different factors weighted differently, Denver took the number 1 spot.” Journalist Michele Berger created the Climate Disruption Index, which was used to create the the Weather Channel list, by assigning values to six aspects of climate change — sea level rise, extreme precipitation, extreme Could climate change exacerbate flooding like the kind that devestated and isolated drought, urban heat islands, Jamestown in 2013? Climate scientists think increasingly severe droughts and flooding are both possible outcomes of climate change in Colorado. changes in precipitation and temperature — based on advice from scientists Katherine Hayhoe, affected by summer urban heat islands. says, “that it’s a work in progress and Michael Mann and David Easterling. The intense difference begs the that everything is going to change as Colorado is expected to get hotquestion: what nearby areas are that soon as we have more data.” ter, springs will thaw sooner and sum- much cooler? In an interview with the Weather mers will stretch on longer. This could Climate Central pitted each city Channel, Hayhoe and Mann said that make wildfires worse, exacerbate against three rural counterparts, mak- how people value different factors droughts and shorten the ski season. ing sure they were within about 150 easily changes the list. With urban But what is it that put Denver ahead miles of the city station, had the same heat islands and extreme weather of St. Louis, Missouri; Miami, Florida; habitat type and were sparsely popuas more significant factors, Denver and Anchorage, Alaska? lated enough to be considered rural. topped the list. Once sea level rise Mainly, the urban heat island efFor Denver this entailed two became the most heavily weighted fect, Berger says. Urban heat islands locations in Colorado and one in factor, New Orleans took the lead. result when a cluster of buildings, Wyoming. Colorado’s Saguache and Hayhoe argued that sea level rise was roads and infrastructure in the form Cheesman stations are at elevations more important because no one can of a city is measurably hotter than of 7,700 and 6,880 feet respectively. live underwater. surrounding areas where blacktop Cheesman has the added cooling “We weren’t trying to create this hasn’t replaced vegetation. factor of being next to a lake. The comprehensive list,” Berger says. “We The list proclaims that Denver Chugwater, Wyoming station is close basically just wanted to spur convercan get 23 degrees hotter than nearby to Denver’s elevation, but it’s 145 sation about a topic that we feel is rural areas.This is based on a Climate miles north. really important.” Central report, which found that These locations shed light on the So let’s converse about what in the worst-case scenario, Denver drastic temperature difference, but climate change will actually mean for and its neighbors could experience a may not paint the whole picture by Colorado. temperature difference as extreme as faulting the urban heat island alone. The state of Colorado acknowlnight and day.The average difference, “I do acknowledge that there are edged the reality of climate change in a more modest 4.9 degrees, still put definitely, I wouldn’t say flaws, but a 2013 House bill that required annuDenver third in the nation for cities that the list is not perfect,” Berger al reports about what climate change Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

will mean for the state and how to combat it. As a major hub of scientific information, Boulder’s labs and researchers were more than prepared to comply. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder published the 2014 report, Climate Change in Colorado, and together CU Boulder and Colorado State University published the 2015 study, Colorado Climate Change Vulnerability Study. Eric Gordon, managing director for Western Water Assessment at CU and co-lead author of the 2015 study, says that if you want to know what climate change will mean for you, you need information specific to where you are. “If you were to look at the United States as a whole you would see trends that really don’t apply to the state of Colorado,” Gordon says. “There are important unique factors about where we are — our midcontinental location, our low humidity, the fact that the mountains are a major driver of the dynamics of the weather out here — that aren’t picked up in many of these other reports.” So far, in the last 30 years, Colorado has warmed by 2 degrees and spring snowmelt has shifted one to four weeks earlier. As far as what to expect, there are a few things we can say are happening with relative confidence. By 2050 we can expect average temperatures to be 2.5 to 5 degrees hotter, summers should be warmer and longer, and winters will likely be wetter, according to the 2014 report. see CLIMATE CHANGE Page 20

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CLIMATE CHANGE from Page 19

Models have reached a consensus on these aspects of climate change. “It’s comforting when you see the same results repeating with slightly different sets of data [and] new model projections,” says Jeff Lukas, co-lead author for both Climate Change in Colorado and the Colorado Climate Change Vulnerability Study. “We say ‘OK, we’re getting stable messages from the state of the art climate science with respect to what we should expect in the future.’” Warmer temperatures bringing earlier springs, which mean shorter ski seasons and longer growing seasons. The spring pulse, caused by melting snow, will occur earlier in the year. So anyone or anything using that water, from farmers irrigating crops to fish living in streams, will have to adjust. “You’ve got this longer growing season, which sounds like a good thing on paper, but will there be the water, both irrigation water and natural precipitation, to support the vegetation that grows?” Lukas asks. Colorado’s river systems are largely dependent on melting snow. If all the snow melts away earlier in spring, there will be little water left by the dog days of summer. The problem is compounded by the fact that plants, just like people, need more water in warmer temperatures. “In a way you could say that plants sweat,” Lukas says. “[They] release water for different reasons physiologically, but as it gets hotter you need to take in more water as an organism to replace the water that’s being released into the atmosphere.” So when the ski slopes melt down the mountains sooner in spring, we must find a way to store enough to last the longer summer and to compensate for the increased need of our heat strained plants. “It can be a little challenging to get a hard grasp on exactly how much water we’re going to have available in the future,” Gordon says. “But what we definitely don’t want to do is get ourselves in a situation

where we are blindsided and we have demands far outstripping available supplies and the best way to [avoid that] is to think about it and also to coordinate.” He suggests municipalities band together to plan, be aware of the range of vulnerabilities and back each other up in emergencies. Running low on water threatens more than our crops and our taps. If we’re hot and dry, forests are too, and that means wildfire. “We will have a tendency to have more wildfire,” Lukas says. “We’ve seen that historically those years where we have warmer springs and earlier snowmelt, you tend to get more fire. “It has sort of a cascading effect throughout the whole summer season, into the fall even, for both water and our overall landscapes when we have earlier springs,” he says. There’s less consensus about the future of precipitation in Colorado because it’s based on more variable systems including jet streams, the North American monsoon season and complexities of mountain weather patterns. “We’re somewhere in that no man’s land between more clearly expecting wetter and more clearly expecting drier futures,” Lukas says. In the northern half of the West, the future looks like rain, while the southern half is predicted to have drier skies. “We will probably see a shift in precipitation toward wetter winters and drier summers,” Gordon says. “That’s probably the area of precipitation where we have the most confidence.” Beyond agriculture, fire and an uncertain water future, climate change poses problems for energy use and Coloradans themselves. Energy and climate change clash on multiple fronts. The increasing heat from climate change prompts Coloradans to crank up their air conditioners. This puts additional strain on electric utilities when they’re already the most taxed — in summer

Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

— which is primarily because of our addiction to air condition. Fossil fuels make up 85 percent of Colorado’s electricity generation, according to the Energy Information Administration. Calling on more electricity to stay cool means burning more fossil fuels, which contributes to climate change causing more heating. It’s a self-perpetuating loop. Gordon, whose work focused on vulnerabilities, says, “The question we really asked was, ‘Where is the intersection between where the physical changes in our climate will affect the state and where we are least prepared to adapt to them?’” He says elements that affect the economy, like agriculture and recreation, tend to stand out, but the report also outlines climate change’s threats to land, water, agriculture, energy, transportation, outdoor recreation and public health. “As we kind of go down the line of impacts and vulnerabilities, there’s some obvious consequences to that, like people being exposed to daytime hot temperatures probably becomes much more of an issue,” Gordon says. He put specific emphasis on outdoor workers, like construction and highway workers toiling in the sun; the elderly, who are more susceptible to heat-related injury and often have no one making sure they have a chance to cool down; and children and teachers in older classrooms without air conditioning. Both Gordon and Lukas emphasize that being aware of what’s coming and preparing for it are the best things we can do. “The prudent thing to say would be, ‘Well, what if a 2002-type drought were to happen again? What if a 2013-type flood were to happen again?’” Gordon says. “And then maybe you could say, ‘OK, well maybe climate change will juice these a little bit more — are we capable of handling that kind of thing?’” Lukas says there are two sides of the “what do we do” coin. The first is

mitigation. By reducing the amount of greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere, we reduce future effects of climate change. “The second part is adaptation,”

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

Lukas says. “How do we adapt to the changes that are inevitable because we’ve already baked in a fair amount of warming to the atmosphere? Depending on what policy choices we

make with respect to future carbon emissions, we may have more or less impact to deal with, but we’re gonna have some, we know that.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com

September 24, 2015 21

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22 September 24, 2015

Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

A new shock to an old system

The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado is revamping energy sources by Emma Murray

he Alliance for Sustainable Colorado is ity you get from wall sockets, runs a current that can climb up to 20 percent. located in the world’s first LEED certified alternates backwards and forwards. The Alliance is looking to reduce this energy historic building, but the nonprofit isn’t In the late 1800s, AC voltage was easier to loss as much as possible. As they prepare to install stopping there — the century-old building transport long distances. Power plants connecting solar panels along their rooftop, they are planwill soon convert their electricity system the national grid established AC as the national ning to purchase a set of large batteries that will from pure alternating current (AC) to also include standard while DC fell out of fashion. collect and store the DC energy to be used daily, direct current (DC). Today, however, almost all electronics — anyor on reserve. Rewiring the building to include “The Alliance is already a bastion of efficiency thing that uses batteries, plugs into a USB cord for DC power will eliminate the need to convert and — we want to go even further,” says Christi Turner, power, or uses a small black box (an AC adapter) reconvert energy. the Alliance’s communications coordinator. to plug in the wall — runs on DC power. Many “Everything we do is trying to maximize our David Lauer The Alliance for Sustainefficiency,” says Sandy Vanderable Colorado is a nonstoep, the Alliance’s special profit organization working projects director. towards realistic measures The conversion will not of sustainability. In 2004, the remove the AC system, howAlliance purchased a hisever, because powering an toric commercial building on entire building with DC enWynkoop Street in downergy is not realistic. By simply town Denver, to serve as a supplementing their energy physical space to convene with DC power,Vanderstoep and connect local commuestimates a third of their load nity leaders working toward will still be cut. common sustainability goals. “It’s our job to pull away The 100-year-old building and see what the greater underwent massive and ingood is,” Vanderstoep says, novative energy efficiency keeping in mind the Alliance’s renovations in an effort to goal is to provide an example demonstrate the use of hisother organizations can toric structures in achieving realistically follow. “Right now sustainable cities. [the greater good] seems to Since The Alliance Center be staying on the grid while moved in, the building has colalso supplementing with DC lected a handful of prestigious power.” With a few energy-saving tactics, including incorporating direct current power, The Alliance for Susawards for sustainable design, tainable Colorado will be able to cut their energy load by a third. The plan to convert the including two LEED certificabuilding is simple. The Allitions, and has established itself ance began construction in as a national leader in sustainability innovation. appliances are also equipped with an internal conthe summer of 2015, with the help of Positive Within its 40,000 square feet, the Alliance Center verter that changes the AC power it gets from the Energies LLC, an energy project developing company. They will begin the move to localis only at 70 percent capacity, currently housing 43 wall into DC power that is needed to operate the ized energy production by rewiring the lighting different agencies and welcoming more than 180 appliance. and the TVs so they can hook directly to DC people on average through their glass doors each Renewable energy sources like solar panels power. day. and wind turbines can only generate DC energy. According to Vanderstoep, there are 6,000 But the Alliance continues to push the sustainTo use that energy to charge your computer in buildings in Denver alone that are ripe for this kind ability envelope, including implementing a DC a conventional building, first the energy must be of conversion. system that will boost the Center’s efficiency to converted to AC power, then run through wires “We’re looking to set the benchmark for new levels. around the building, and then it will be reconreasonable and realistic conversion to energy efDC and AC systems differ in one major way: verted back to DC power. The heat emanating ficiency,” she says. DC, used in batteries, runs a current that always from the back of your computer as it charges is flows in the same direction, while AC, the electric- the energy lost in this conversion process, which Respond: info@boulderganic.com Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

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Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

The small footprints of craft brewing How Boulder craft brewers are leaders in sustainability by Tiffany Lutke

rewing beer has the potential to be pretty more about quantity than quality — and they’d wasteful. Without mindfulness in brewing probably have to find a new industry. practices, it would be easy to cause harm Eco-friendly craft brewing isn’t simply a new to our environment. Although most beer trend. Sustainability in brewing has been going on for is brewed with natural ingredients (water, hundreds of years.Take, for instance, the practice of malt, hops and yeast), it is not naturally occurring. brewers giving spent grain (grain after it’s been used The processes and equipment used in brewing can in brewing) to local farmers for feed and composting. be cumbersome to our resources. Fortunately, most This tradition is still going strong today. BRU donates craft brewers are well aware of these risks, and go most of their spent grain to local farmers.The same to extreme lengths to operate sustainably. goes for Gunbarrel-based Asher Brewing Company, It’s no secret that the craft who sends their spent grain Bryce Clark brewing industry is filled with a over to local organic farm, lot of eco-conscious individuals. Frog Belly. Downtown We often hear about large craft brewpub Shine Restaurant brewers, their incredible sustain& Gathering Place uses lamb ability efforts and the ways in from the same farm they which they give back to the send their spent grain to, environment. Golden Hoof. But they didn’t always have Brewers use more than top-notch automatic cooler their processes and equipdoors to keep cold rooms from ment to create sustainwasting energy, and flow meters ability initiatives; they also to monitor their water usage. give back through charitable They weren’t always able to donations to environmental donate thousands of dollars evcauses. When it comes to ery year toward environmental giving back to the environcauses. They must have gotten ment, our small local brewtheir start somewhere. ers make a big difference. And what about the little BRU donates 1 percent of guys? Do the smaller brewers their sales to a network without the same resources, of environmental organiAs part of its green practices, BRU uses left capital or equipment try and over spent grain from brewing to make ice zations worldwide, while cream sandwiches. make those same strides? Or Asher donates kegs to raise is operating sustainably beyond money for local environtheir reach? mental non-profits and community fundraisers. Based on conversations with some of Boulder’s But what about energy? Big craft brewers are able local brewers, it seems as if craft beer and sustainto attain top of the line, energy-efficient equipment. ability go hand in hand. That isn’t always so easy for smaller brewers with a Ian Clark, chef and founder of BRU handbuilt smaller budget. Sometimes they have to get creative. ales & eats, says operating sustainably is important “Making beer on a commercial scale is not very to him for many reasons. eco-friendly,” Clark says. “It uses an incredible “The main reason is that BRU is an extension amount of water, some funky chemicals, and large of who I am, and sustainability is very important to amounts of brewers’ yeast released into municipal me,” Clark says. “Because of this, it is only natural water systems wreaks havoc on treatment plants. that that sentiment would resonate in my business.” On top of all that, it takes an amazing amount of Clark is not alone in his mindset; the craft brew- energy to both heat and cool the beer to keep it ing industry as a whole is filled with likeminded tasting great. So, we have to make a conscious efpeople who want to be as environmentally responfort to mitigate that in all areas we can.” sible as possible. Otherwise, they’d probably care Both BRU and Asher offset their breweries with Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

100 percent wind power. So even though it’s not always the easiest route, our Boulder-based brewers have really made a commitment to sustainability. “When we started brewing four years ago, we wanted to bring to market an innovative approach to beer making that was in line with the holistic healthy vibe of Shine Restaurant & Gathering Place,” says Jill Emich, co-owner of Shine. Shine’s brewhouse is set up to recapture much of the water from wort transfers, and they use locally grown hops for some of their beers. Besides working with farmers, whether it’s donating spent grain or using their products for ingredients, there are other ways brewers get creative in their efforts. For BRU, they find ways to incorporate any extra product into their menu. For instance, when there is a small amount of beer left over, it gets turned into vinegar for the kitchen. Additionally, some of their spent grain is used in their spent grain ice cream sandwiches. (And if you haven’t tried their ice cream sandwiches, you’re seriously missing out.) The unique ways brewers strive toward having eco-friendly businesses goes all the way down to tap handles and furniture. BRU uses reclaimed utensils for the tap handles in their tasting room, and all of the furniture in Asher’s tasting room is re-purposed. There’s something scrappy about the craft brewing industry, which can be pretty endearing. But for the environment, it’s pretty powerful. For these craft brewers, it’s not about marketing themselves as “green” or having an eco-friendly image. The business of craft brewing is one of passion. And the financial expenses, patience and innovation that go into many of their efforts toward sustainability, showcase that passion well. When walking through Shine, Asher or BRU, you might notice the eco-friendly and people-friendly chemicals they use to clean their equipment. Usually, this stuff isn’t going to save you any money, and it may take a little longer to use in some cases, but when it comes to their efforts toward sustainability, our local brewers are committed down to the last non-toxic drop. “Sustainability is always under a microscope for us,” Clark says. “We are always trying to reevaluate sustainable practices and get better in every way.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com September 24, 2015 25

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Boulderganic Fall â€™15 Boulder Weekly

The good in letting food go ‘bad’ Author Sandor Katz talks bacteria, fermentation and health by Caitlin Rockett

Courtesy of Sandor Katz

e’re taught from a young age that bacteria are bad — our soap is anti-bacterial, and we carry antibacterial hand sanitizer on key chains. Only recently in medical history did scientists discover our own bodies are teaming with bacteria — on our skin, in our mouths and, quite obviously, in our bowels — that help us. In 2012, scientists working on the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), a five-year study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, were able to publish a complete database — a map, if you will — of the microbial makeup of a healthy human, finally giving researchers a reference point on which to base research on how changes in bacteria relate to health or disease. And it turns out that a lot of what makes us human are the nonhuman entities living within us. There are more than 400 species of bacteria living in our guts, some of them “healthy” bacteria and some with the potential to cause damage.The healthy bacteria keep the damaging bacteria in check. The presence or absence of certain gut bacteria can be linked to obesity, digestive problems and, in very recent findings, possibly our mental health. Much work is being done on how to balance these good and bad bacteria to relieve medical illnesses, and in some cases, particularly with digestive problems, it seems that balancing the bacteria in our guts may be as easy as eating the right kinds of foods. Author and self-proclaimed fermentation revivalist Sandor Katz has made a career out of promoting the benefits of fermented foods: edibles that are preserved by microorganisms much like those living in our bodies. Katz has traveled the world teaching workshops that demystify fermentation with the hope that others will experiment with this ancient method of preserving food. “Science and biology and medicine are just coming to recognize how important bacteria are to our overall health and well being, to every aspect of our physiology and functionality,” Katz says. “We need bacteria in our gut to affectively digest, to assimilate nutrients. Our immune system is mostly the work of bacteria. Our mental health — our brain chemistry, serotonin, other chemical compounds that determine how we think and how we feel — are regulated by bacteria in our intestines in ways we don’t fully understand. The ability Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

Sandor Katz teaching a fermentation class.

of our livers’ cells to regenerate is regulated by gut bacteria. So many aspects of our functionality are tied up in these bacteria.” Katz points out numerous factors in contemporary life that lead to lessened biodiversity in our gut: antibiotic drugs, antibacterial cleansing products and even processed foods, to name a few. “We are subject to all of this exposure to chemical compounds that are designed to kill bacteria. They don’t kill all the bacteria in us but they diminish biodiversity,” Katz says. “So in this context, eating live culture fermented foods — foods which have undergone no heat process, haven’t been cooked after their fermentation so bacteria are alive and intact — is really just a strategy for improving overall health.” Katz is careful, however, to say that eating a diet that regularly incorporates fermented foods isn’t necessarily a “cure” for everything. “I feel like it’s a fine line; It’s not like we can say eating sauerkraut or drinking kombucha cures anything, and when people talk in those terms it makes me uncomfortable,” he says. “But I think that by improving all of these basic systems, eating foods that can improve digestion and immune function and perhaps improve mental health, that’s huge. It’s not the same thing as curing disease, but it can have a really positive impact in people’s day to day lives.” Some of the first clinical applications for the Human Microbiome Project database involved studies on the digestive track, and with good reason: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that between 60 and 70 million Americans deal with some form of digestive illness.

Clinical studies have looked at whether eating foods rich in natural bacteria, often called probiotics, could alleviate symptoms of digestive illness. Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, has been one of the most extensively studied digestive illnesses where probiotics might provide a positive benefit. IBS is a common disorder that affects the large intestine, causing cramps, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and, alternately for some sufferers, constipation. While the exact cause of IBS is unknown, research suggests abnormalities in the gastrointestinal nervous sytem can create a poor connection between the brain and gut. Two particular species of probiotics, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species have been tested individually and in combination to determine affects on IBS, with much agreement between research projects that Bifidobacterium is beneficial for treating IBS. Yogurt is famed for its live cultures that can aid in digestion — but the National Yogurt Association recommends looking for products with a seal indicating a minimum number of live starter cultures were used during fermentation. However, the seal doesn’t ensure that the yogurt contains probiotic bacteria or that there are large enough quantities of probiotics to have positive benefits. Luckily, making yogurt is a relatively easy process, and culture kits that contain Bifidobacterium are available for purchase online. Other fermented foods contain bacteria that have been shown to be beneficial to balancing gut bacteria: Kefir and buttermilk also contain lacticacid producing probiotics, as do kimchi, sauerkraut and pickled vegetables. Any fermented vegetable that hasn’t been subjected to manufacturing processes can have probiotic effects: Miso, tempeh and umeboshi (a type of pickled plum), to name a few. Katz says that a shift in American concern over where our food comes from and how it affects us has prompted a surge in interest for fermented foods outside of yogurt and sourdough bread. “For any of us born in the U.S. in the 20th century, we were raised with the idea that bacteria was bad, period.” Katz says. “Since the first decoding of the microbiome, sort of these broader, cross-population studies of the microbiome … we understand now how bacteria are an important part of a strategy for staying healthy.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com September 24, 2015 27

Anxious? Angry? Meditate. How meditation can help anyone, everyone by Emma Murray

Moyan Brenn via Wikimedia

ome brains can bounce back from every experience we have actually changes adverse stimuli more quickly than the brain,” Lunders says. others, often times it just depends Anecdotal claims about the benefits of on the luck of the draw — what meditation percolate in waves of westernkind of neurons you’re born with. adapted mindfulness practices. Though Some people are predisposed to be angrier, meditation has been around for centuries, more anxious or more stressed, and some only in the past few years have neuroscihappier or calmer. entists and psychologists teamed up to Now, while you can’t exactly change your seriously bolster these claims with scientific predispositions, you can train your brain to evidence. bounce back to neutral neural states more Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachuquickly. So even for those born with angrier setts General Hospital and Harvard Medical brain cells there is good news. Meditation School, has found that long-term meditators can help. have more gray matter in their insula and Be Mindful, a Denver-based mindfulness sensory regions, the auditory and sensory A daily 20-minute meditation session can go a long way in reducing stress and increasing focus. organization, emphasizes that mindfulness cortex, and in the frontal cortex, associshould be accessible to the masses. Instead of ated with working memory and executive hosting a center where those interested in meditaRossi says. “No one knows you’re doing it, unlike decision-making. tion can go and take classes, the nonprofit organitelling your boss you need to go out for a jog to deGray matter isn’t just some gooey mess used zation of qualified mindfulness instructors brings stress. If you can just breathe, then breathe.” like insulation to fill in the extra brain space. It’s a programs to the people that need it most.They have Teszra is one of Rossi’s students. She started type of tissue, a very special tissue, located throughworked in various organizations like schools, the Red meditation through Urban Peak, one of Be Mindful’s out the central nervous system and which facilitates Cross and homeless shelters.With each organization, programs. She started meditating just once a week two critical brain functions: information processing Be Mindful’s curriculum development team creates a at first, she says, but quickly assimilated it into her from sensory organs and neuron nutrient transport. custom program specifically suited to their needs. everyday life because she found that taking a little Essentially, the more gray matter our brains can “We don’t believe in the square peg, round hole bit of time out of her day to focus on herself really house, the more efficiently we can process signals model,” says AnneMarie Rossi, founder and execuchanged the way she thinks. from sensory organs, and the healthier neurons tive director of Be Mindful. “Kids in low income ar“Since I’ve started meditating I have noticed that I develop with more nutrients. eas around Denver are going to have vastly different can control my reaction to uncontrollable situations. As we grow older our cortex shrinks, making it needs than upper class students in another county. I’m able to focus more and make better decisions. I harder to remember things and figure stuff out. But Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, stress less and in times of silence, my brain is able to Lazar’s study found that 50-year-old meditators had and we want to suit them all.” think more freely. My memory has improved. I can be the same amount of gray matter as 25-year-olds. Be Mindful conducted a study within the Denver in the present moment and be happy,” she says. Lazar, a long time meditator herself, also supPublic Schools to examine the behavioral impacts of Teszra would recommend meditation to anyone ports these positive reviews with her personal mindfulness instruction in schools. After a 10-week and everyone, she says, because everyone can afford experience. “I have more empathy and compassion for training program, they interviewed the students and to take a few minutes out of their day to be still people,” she said. found overwhelmingly positive results in several with themselves. For her it’s a natural way to calm Increased gray matter typically makes the area of facets of their behavior, namely increased prothe noise in her head and improve her focus. the brain more efficient or powerful at processing social behavior, like helping other students, better The process toward these benefits isn’t rigorinformation. Luders believes that the increased gray decision-making, more feelings of calm and avoiding ous or expensive. Meditation has been proven as matter in the meditators’ brains should make them fights and arguments. one of the most low-cost and low-risk methods of better at controlling their attention, managing their “Meditation is the foundation for all other learn- reducing stress, anxiety and anger. The training isn’t emotions and making mindful choices. ing. If you can’t focus, pay attention and emotionally anything new either. Meditation has been around Instead of expensive therapy sessions or pharregulate, it doesn’t matter,” Rossi says. “It’s like icing and helping people for centuries. on a Styrofoam cake. It just doesn’t matter.” Eileen Luders, a researcher in the Department of maceuticals, all you need is a safe, comfortable space and as little as an hour a week, according to some Mindful breathing is one pillar of Be Mindful’s Neurology at the University of California Los Angecore teachings, which can be particularly effective les School of Medicine commented on an MRI study scientists like Barbara Fredrickson of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And some studies, like for students confined to classrooms all day. comparing the brains of age-matched meditators one conducted by Stanford University, have shown “Your breath goes with you wherever you are. and non-meditators that she conducted in 2009. that even seven minutes of meditation is enough to It can’t be in the past and it can’t be in the future,” “Today we know that everything we do and 28 September 24, 2015

Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

increase positive emotions. Meditation is so effective because it isn’t trying to silence or remove any emotions. Instead it aims to cultivate an alternative way for people to pay “openhearted attention to the external stimuli and the internal reactions as they unfold,” as Williams says. Silencing the automatic emotional reactions would be counterproductive because not only do we still need them to survive, at least to some extent, but suppression like that would produce an entirely different cadre of psychological problems. Learning how to manage the emotional reactions is what’s important. Essentially meditation increases your mindful awareness, through which you can learn how to tell when your negative reaction emotion is in the “on” mode, and then you can cultivate the power to switch it back “off.” The more you practice meditation, the more automatic this process becomes and the easier it is to do, even subconsciously. A Pennsylvania State University study agrees: “Mindfulness meditation shifts individuals’ ability to employ emotion regulation strategies that enable them to experience emotion selectively, and that the emotions they experience may be processed differently in the brain.” Myriad psychological and neurological studies have shown that as little as eight weeks of consistent meditation can permanently alter a brain’s composition. This is proof that our brains can be trained to uncouple the automatic sensory self from the conscious reactive self. Perhaps it’s hard to square away even just 20 minutes to meditate — there is always something that needs to be done right now, right? But 20 minutes is just 1.3 percent of your day. It’s less than the time it takes to run the dishwasher. It’s half of the average time American’s spend on Facebook per day, according to a Bloomberg study. The changes that mediation enables are virtually impossible to replicate with any other singular method. There is some debate that challenges meditation to be less than what it’s chalked up to be. Some sci-

entists argue that simply resting in a sitting position is more than enough to garner the same effects as full-on meditation. Some propose that it is actually the community aspect of meditation that contributes the

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

most positive outcomes. Even with these doubts and considerations, it could still be fair to say that meditation enables all of these features — the sitting and the community — and if the results are positive, as the

science proves they are, then what’s the harm of giving it a try? It’s either that, or another 20 minutes aimlessly browsing your friends’ Facebook page. Respond: info@boulderganic.com

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Boulderganic Fall ’15 Boulder Weekly

Please, not another euphemism

Reusable menstrual products could help end the social stigma that surrounds having a period by Emma Murray

e find a million ways to avoid saying it — it’s “that time of the month,” or “Aunt Flo came for a visit.” For those not feeling so delicate about it, they’re “on the rag” or “surfing the crimson tide.” When the cramps get bad, many women claim headaches or stomach bugs. Tampons, pads and panty liners are hidden in discreet little purses and inundated with fragrances. This doesn’t speak for all women, but since the advent of female hygiene products, the underlying social message seems clear: menstruation is an embarrassing hygiene problem that women should conceal. Researchers, such as Ingrid Johnston-Robledo and Joan C. Chrisler, have argued that menstruation has a social stigma, and some say it obstructs the path toward women’s social equality. Without the acceptance of your body, asserting egalitarianism on behalf of your gender is challenging. And while change is always slow in coming, current research suggests that reusable menstrual products could be the next best feminist tools to fight against this particular social stigma because they can foster acceptance.

Controlling the flow The monthly ritual of trying to safely and efficiently live with a period has been a process governed by trial and error. As early as 15th century B.C., Egyptians used soft papyrus to soak up their menstrual blood. Ancient Roman women would use wool. The Japanese taped special paper to themselves that they’d change every hour. Native Hawaiians employed the furry part of the hapu’u fern. Beginning around the 18th century, American women used fabrics and

Franziska Neuhaus via Wikimedia

Products for menstruation are mostly disposable and very wasteful. One tampon has the same amount of plastic as three grocery bags, not counting packaging.

eventually disposables pads that were large and cumbersome and not unlike diapers. The modern tampon didn’t emerge until the 1930s, when Tampax was patented and hired “Tampax Ladies” to tour the country, giving speeches at colleges to educate and convince the public that tampons were safe and effective. Reusable menstruation products were invented around the same time, but they were shunned from society because disposable products were easier and less intimidating. Only within the past two decades have reusable menstruation products garnered more mainstream use and risen as a new feminist technology. Their efficiency, environmental benefits and the personal growth they inspire provide valuable tools for combating the debilitating unease and embarrassment associated with menstruation. Plus, these reusable menstrual products come in various forms. Products like DivaCups and Moon-

Boulder Weekly Boulderganic Fall ’15

cups are two popular tampon-like silicone cups that are inserted into the vaginal canal to collect menstrual blood. Before and after each use they are sterilized with boiling water and can be reused for up to 10 years if properly taken care of. Reusable pads, like GladRags and Lunapads, function similarly as washable cloths that fix to a woman’s underwear and collect menstrual blood.

Changing attitudes “The idea is that [with reusable feminine products] you’re really touching yourself more and acknowledging more.You aren’t disposing of your ‘mess,’ you’re living with your body,” says Dr. Gillian Russell, a Boulder-based psychologist with a Ph.D. from the University of London. Through all the progressive changes surrounding women since the 1930s, the embarrassment associated with menstruation has not yet lifted. Common euphemisms have all but replaced the words “period” and

“menstruation” in Western vernacular. Circumventing these words has become a temporary solution for a much larger problem that Russell calls, “a huge challenge in today’s society.” The base of the problem is a great societal revulsion toward anything “menstrual” that Russell finds has a deeper psychological seed. “There’s this overarching theme in today’s society of wanting to be in control… [and the] thing is, menstruation represents something messy, dirty, out of control,” Russell says. “Nowadays that’s not how women think they should be.” Carolina Ramirez, a Women and Gender studies student researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder, says, “Menstruation has been seen as an individual health issue and has no space in the public health discourse.” Earlier this year Ramirez conducted research on the consequences of the silence that surrounds menstruation. Her findings showed that if girls are discouraged to talk about menstruation and female health at a young age, a culture of shame and silence carries into their adult life and contributes to the continued stigmatization. What exacerbates the problem is that feminine hygiene products and the media have primed women to think this way. According to tampon boxes, menstruation is something that requires “protection” and “discreet” solutions. It’s something that should be hidden, something that women should be embarrassed about. According to them, menstruation is something that requires a defense mechanism. “There are activists that try to communicate [feminist] ideals, but they are up against a tremendous media presence,” Russell says. “Mensee REUSABLES Page 32

September 24, 2015 31

REUSABLES from Page 31 Detienne MC via Wikimeida

struation is a sign neglect. Acof sexuality in a cording to Slate woman. But the Magazine, “the media just shows average woman asexual women throws away 250 — women with to 300 pounds no breasts, no of ‘pads, plugs, hips, very slim — and applicators’ and that is what in her lifetime.” is being idealized, One tampon unfortunately.” has the same Russell notes amount of that the squeaplastic as three mishness plaguing grocery bags, menstruation which doesn’t conversations can even include the Menstration cups are a healthy, be harmful to a packaging, wrapeconomical and feminist option. young girl’s develpings, or backing opment, making strips that also them more self-conscious and shy at end up in landfills. One DivaCup a pivotal point in their lives. weighs, including packaging, less Madison Murray, a women’s studthan two ounces. ies research student at Old Dominion Switching to the DivaCup is also University in Virginia, agrees that a healthier alternative. Because the products like the DivaCup can be a DivaCup is non-absorbent, it doesn’t catalyst for major change. cause dryness.The DivaCup claims that, “Menstrual cups are a perfect “when a tampon is inserted, its compofeminist technology,” she says. “Part of sition of rayon and cotton absorbs your women empowerment is understandvagina’s protective fluid, drying out and ing the vagina in its own beauty and disrupting its normal pH levels.” not just being a source of reproducThe cup can be left in for up to tion or sex. Women are often taught 12 hours at a time — meaning less to shy away from self-exploration, but bathroom trips and less stress about there is much to understand. We all leakage — because it can hold up to have our own flow and understanding three times a much as one tampon. it can help one see what your body The silicon composition ensures needs.” there is zero risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, a bacterial illness that can cause death. Economically, the DivaCup is a steal. While it will last for mulAccording to the DivaCup prodtiple years, it only costs about the uct description, “Many women feel equivalent of three months worth of uneasy about changing their mendisposable supplies. strual care routine.Years of dealing “If we could get even freer about with the sights and odors of disposthis, if it could be as normal as buying able tampons and pads cause the toilet paper or Kleenex, then we can familiar reaction: ‘ick!’ The DivaCup make some progress. This is a chalempowers women to connect with lenge,” Russell says. their bodies and menstrual cycles like To help normalize menstruation, never before.” Russell recommends more dialogue. The environmental benefits of “Really, it’s mothers and female role trading tampons and pads for the models that will change things.” Respond: info@boulderganic.com DivaCup are also impossible to

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