DNF talks merger with N.M. co-op

After 40 years of setting down roots, Durango's sole food co-op is thinking about branching out. Durango Natural Foods announced Tuesday it is in merger discussions with La Montañita Food Co-op, based in Albuquerque.

"We are letting our community and membership know that this is the Board's recommendation, and we invite everyone to engage in a discussion with us," DNF Board President Geoff Wolf said Wednesday.

The co-ops have a signed letter of intent and are pursuing next steps with a goal of completing the merger in October, pending discussions, a DNF member vote and final Board approval. DNF is owned by about 1,500 members.

Founded in 1976 in Albuquerque, La Montañita has 17,000 members and operates six stores in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Gallup. It also runs a food distribution system for food grown in the Southwest.

  “Our co-op just turned 40 year old and as we strategically looked forward to envision how our members and community could best be served for the next 40 years, we began conversations with La Montañita,” he said.

The two co-ops are no strangers, with a history of collaboration. "(La Montañita has) played a key role in our co-op’s history. They helped us in big ways during tough times in the past,” said Wolf. 

Although those rough sports are behind DNF and the co-op is "stable and as strong as ever," the increasingly competitive market dictates resources and capitol beyond its means. Joining with La Montañita will help ensure that DNF remains competitive. La Montanita’s distribution system, which Wolf called “one of the most innovative in the country,”  will also be a plus for local growers.

In addition to having better buying power, which will translate into more savings, La Montañita would offer increased stability, a competitive wage and benefit package, and improved training and development for staff, according to an email from DNF.

Former manager Joshua Jackson left DNF last November to work at a co-op in Montana. In the interim, two members of the DNF staff have been filling in while the co-op searches for a new manager. If the merger goes through, this task will be taken over by La Montañita. However, plans call for integrating existing DNF staff and members into the merged co-op. Furthermore, decisions will still be made locally and there are no plans to change the store's name.

Wolf said maintaining commitment to the local community and growers is of utmost importance. "Joining with them has many advantages as we continue to grow our cooperative economy in Durango and Southwest," he said.

Terry Bowling, General Manager of La Montañita, also said he looks forward to a new and stronger relationship between the two businesses. “We welcome members of the Durango co-op and look forward to serving the Durango community," he said.

4CORE hosts healthy homes event

Durangoans may tend to be a healthy lot, but when it comes to their homes, maybe not so much.

“We found that 80 percent of homes we weatherized in Southwest Colorado had safety and health issues,” Sandhya Tillotson, Healthy Homes Program Coordinator for the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) said. Problems ran the gamut from mold and mildew to inoperable windows, bad kitchen venting, and gas and carbon monoxide leaks.

The finding spurred 4CORE to go after – and land – a $30,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency late last summer to launch a “Healthy Homes” program. The program, which was funded through the EPA’s Environmental Justice Program, was aimed at educating and helping lower income households in La Plata County address these indoor hazards. “We found it to be an environmental justice issue because many of the people did not have the income or education to deal with the problems,” said Tillotson.

The program kicked off a year ago with a goal of reaching 250 residents on the risks of indoor air pollution and low- or no-cost solutions. Several workshops were held throughout the county on  topics such as radon, carbon monoxide, second-hand smoke and Sick Home Syndrome, symptoms of which  include asthma, headache, eye, nose or throat irritation, itchy skin, dizziness or nausea.

According to Tillotson, healthy home principles include keeping the home dry, clean, well-ventilated, pest-free, well-maintained and free from contaminants.

A year later, at the program’s culmination, it exceeded its goal, reaching some 350 people, from Bayfield, Durango, Ignacio, Hesperus and rural parts of the county. “We were trying to empower them with knowledge and to create behavioral changes,” she said.

In addition to receiving free information and resources, participants were given free radon tests and carbon monoxide detectors. They were also asked to sign a “healthy homes” pledge, which included a four-week follow-up survey from Tillotson. The results of the survey will be discussed next Tues., Aug. 19, at the Healthy Homes and Radon Awareness program celebration from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. Held in conjunction with the CSU Extension Office, the free event is open to the public and includes lunch as well as free carbon monoxide detectors. Tillotson called the event a “mini summit on healthy homes,” which will also discuss the next steps and feature representatives from the San Juan Basin Health Department, EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Tillotson said although the Healthy Homes program was targeted at lower incomes, the event is open to people of all walks of life. “These issues affect people of all income levels,” she said, adding that she discovered several problems this summer in her own home, a 100-plus year old house in Durango. “It really affects everyone, and it’s important to be aware of these issues.”

Registration is required for Tuesday’s event. To register or learn more, go to www.fourcore.org or call Tillotson at 259-1916, Ext. 115

Rockfall work on HWY 3 starts Aug. 21

Travelers will no longer have to hold their breath when running the rock-riddled southern gauntlet of Highway 3. Starting next Thurs., Aug. 21, crews will begin rock mitigation and safety improvements on the south end of the highway, from the south end of Sawmill Road to the junction with HWY 550/660.

That's the good news. The bad news: the .7-mile section of road will be closed throughout the project, which is expected to last until mid-November.

During this time, crews will be blasting the overhanging hillside, which is notorious for dropping rock onto the roadway, some large enough to crush cars.

During the closure, Rivergate businesses, medical offices and residences will still be accessible from the north, via Santa Rita Drive or 8th Avenue. The Carbon Junction Trailhead also will be open during construction, however, there will be no parking. The nearest public parking will be available farther south at the Big Canyon Trailhead and a temporary path will be built between the two trailheads.

To stay up to date on project's progress, sign up for email/text alerts at www.coloradodot.info and choose “SH 3 Durango Rockfall” under the “Projects” list.

– Missy Votel