The Return of True Agricultural Localism

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 GROWING A REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM

THE RETURN OF TRUE AGRICULTURAL LOCALISM

VOLUME 12 NUMBER 4 GREENFIRETIMES.COM PUBLISHER GREEN EARTH PUBLISHING, LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SETH ROFFMAN / [email protected] PLEASE SUPPORT GREEN FIRE TIMES GUEST ASSOCIATE EDITOR ERIN ORTIGOZA Green Fire Times provides a platform for regional, community-based DESIGN WITCREATIVE voices—useful information for residents, businesspeople, students and COPY EDITOR STEPHEN KLINGER visitors—anyone interested in the history and spirit of New Mexico and the Southwest. One of the unique aspects of GFT is that it offers CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ANITA ADALJA, JAIME CHÁVEZ, JULIANA multicultural perspectives and a link between the green movement and CIANO, VANESSA COLÓN, MARTHA COOKE, ZOE FINK, LUCY GENT FOMA, LISA traditional cultures. B. FRIEDLAND, ROD GESTEN, ISABELL JENNICHES, GILLIAN JOYCE, MELANIE MARGARITA KIRBY, JACK LOEFFLER, FAITH MAXWELL, RACHEL MOORE, KYLE Storytelling is at the heart of community health. GFT shares stories MALONE, MIKE MUSIALOWSKI, SAYRAH NAMASTE, ANDREW NEIGHBOR, CORILIA of hope and is an archive for community action. In each issue, a ORTEGA, ERIN ORTIGOZA, SONORA RODRÍGUEZ, ERNIE RIVERA, SETH ROFFMAN, small, dedicated staff and a multitude of contributors offer articles CHRISTINA M. ROGERS, MICAH ROSEBERRY, MIGUEL SANTISTEVAN, MELYNN documenting projects supporting sustainability—community, culture, SCHUYLER, JAMES SKEET, NINA YOZELL-EPSTEIN, MARK WINNE environment and regional economy.

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2 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 GREEN FIRE TIMES News & Views from the Sustainable Southwest VOLUME 12 NO. 4 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

CONTENTS VALUE CHAINS – COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: FORGING THE VALUE CHAIN

THE RETURN OF TRUE AGRICULTURAL LOCALISM – ERIN ORTIGOZA / 10 CULTIVATING A SENSIBLE FOOD SYSTEM – MIGUEL SANTISTEVAN / 4 THE FARM STAND & MARKET AT LA ESQUINITA ALIANZA AGRI-CULTURA DE TAOS AND LANDLINK NM – CHRISTINA ROGERS, KYLE MALONE / 22 – CORILIA ORTEGA AND GILLIAN JOYCE / 5 MILPA ECOLOGY: ROOTS OF AGRO-ECOLOGY – JAIME CHÁVEZ / 6 ENTREPRENEURS PERFECT STORM ON THE NAVAJO NATION – JAMES SKEET RISING TO ACTION: OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM IN THE AGE OF CORONA-19 FIRST NATIONS’ FARM-TO-SCHOOL AWARDS / 10 – NINA YOZELL-EPSTEIN / 24 COMMERCIAL AQUAPONICS COMING TO SANTA FE – ANDREW NEIGHBOR / 26 FOOD SECURITY AND PANDEMIC RELIEF IT’S NOT EASY BEING A BIG EGG FARMER – MARK WINNE / 28 USE CHESS STRATEGY TO WIN IN FOOD-SECURITY CRISIS IN TAOS THE LAMY HOMESTEAD: AN URBAN FARM PROJECT – VANESSA COLÓN / 29 – MIKE MUSIALOWSKI / 10 BEAT THE SUMMER HEAT WITH A FOOD FOREST – MIKE MUSIALOWSKI / 31 A.I.R.E.’S GROWING COMMUNITY NOW PROJECT – MICAH ROSEBERRY / 12 NORTHERN YOUTH PROJECT – FAITH MAXWELL / 13 REFLECTIONS AND VISIONS CULTIVATING HOPE IN HARD TIMES – JULIANA CIANO, MELYNN SCHUYLER, RACHEL RIPPLES AND RIBBONS – MELANIE MARGARITA KIRBY / 32 MOORE / 15 EMIGDIO BALLÓN: “BUY LOCAL AND PAY FARMERS A LIVING WAGE” / 34 FARM-TO-FOODBANK PROJECT – SAYRAH NAMASTE / 16 TENDING THE GARDEN – JACK LOEFFLER / 35 LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCY DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC – ANITA ADALJA / 18 HEALTHY KIDS HEALTHY COMMUNITIES NEWSBITES / 19, 24, 27, 37, 38 SAN ILDEFONSO PUEBLO – MARTHA COOKE / 19 WHAT’S GOING ON / 39

INTRODUCTION he September–October 2020 Green Fire Times—Growing a Regional Food System—is a tribute to the people of New Mexico. The life, work, heart and soul reflected in T these pages demonstrates the strength and hope alive in our communities.

These stories link system-level concepts with entrepreneurial and community experience. They speak to the food value chain and what that means to us as we seek to co-create a revolutionary and resilient systemic response to the culmination of these times. We witness shifts that have happened through the eyes of the many contributors, and are also made aware of changes that are still needed to rebuild our regional food system. There is a new order developing. Equitable access through the localization of agriculture rings loud and clear.

These articles explore the specifics of various organizations’ and food/agricultural entrepreneurs’ journeys and what it takes to work with mission, purpose and passion through unprecedented challenges. The tenacity showcased underlies work borne out of collaboration among groups, some which have built bonds over many years and some that are discovering new ways of working together. This is an important theme as we move forward together.

We are reminded that food is essential to being in alignment with our ancestry and environment. We are also ancestors for our future kin; the way that food is grown today lays groundwork for that future.

Thank you to everyone working in our food community and to those who have shared their information and views through this publication. Also, thank you to Farm-to-Table New Mexico, the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council and ESHIP Río Grande for your support and assistance. Estela Alcantar’s booth at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, Aug. 2020 © Seth Roffman ERIN ORTIGOZA GUEST ASSOCIATE EDITOR

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 3 - - - - (al-

- peas .” These .” , ), purslane (lentejas) ), dandeli verdolagas quelites jardín de riso ( ofon and a variety plants for medicinal and household uses. Along with the our crops, cultivated fields need to be managed to encour age useful “weeds” vari as several such eties of spinach wild ( To produce this food, produce this food, To need to expand we our ideas of agricultural production and need to We techniques. rely on crops that are adaptable to the ex are increas tremes we (habas) and garbanzo beans—crops once typical to the acequia

fava beans fava , Many wild plants can be dried, as seed crops, cultivated ground into high-protein flour, and/or sprouted for greens in the winter. We need to expand our ideas need to expand our We of production agricultural and techniques. plants already exist in irrigated and rather than treating them as something fields, so they can be harvested need to encourage them to thrive we to be removed, can think of We per square- crops. our success in nutrition alongside cultivated of the ecological capabilities are not over-extending foot, making sure that we a closed-loop relationship of and maximizing our environment, inputs and outputs to our system. need to heal the the landscape for food. We need to look toward Next, we spreading seeds that will be useful and to grow products forests and watersheds, that will replace many of the goods Arroyos currently at the store. we purchase spread and infiltrated into the land, and and erosion need to be stopped, water shrubs and annual trees, more wild and domesticated soils built to support even from shrubs as seed crops, to weeds can be cultivated Many wild plants plants. and/or can then be dried, ground which into high-protein flour, to cactus, These kinds of in acequia culture as the “ known were crops berjón) culture of and garbanzos beans can be planted around the fava Peas, this region. same time as winter grains of advantage to take Lentils exhibit winter moisture. incredible frost- and drought-tolerance. ofI am sure that fall and winter plantings since other crops are possible as well, every year I witness the emergence of from most of plants volunteer crops my an abundance of This year I have planted in past seasons. - sorghum and buck of By taking advantage wheat from last year. this possibility and planting in the will establish early in the spring these resilient crops late fall for overwintering, is ready for a environment when your know (or when they are ready), let you until and rain event, with every early spring snow second planting, and will thrive irrigation for many of which, starts, our northern is in New Mexico acequias, early April. ingly seeing with climate change. I have been having greatest been having success with grains I have ingly seeing with climate change. rye. as winter wheat and having I am also that can be planted in the fall such as lentils legumes such success with frost- and drought-tolerant likely get serious about cultivating insects for protein, either for ourselves or for or for ourselves either for protein, for insects getlikely about cultivating serious feed. animal a strong, resilient food to have seed, so in order comes from All food ultimately Unfortunately, stock. and localized seed strong, resilient have must system, we produced separatelyseed is often farms from the is produce food, which that farms need local dedicated We fossil fuels. using world the transported all over to serving local farmers and agricultural for seed production Initially, research. food from those farms in schools, needs to be mostly grownto feed the children or oth- hospitalized those who find themselves and seniors in our communities, erwise in need. - - MIGUEL SANTISTEVAN MIGUEL

Eating locally improves health your and increases of chances your surviving this and the next epidemic. Though opinions of a spectrum, span from climate change and COVID-19 to it is impossible terror for those who feel their effects directly, to disbelief, deny the loss and destruction that comes from the impacts of storms and disease. the weaknesses revealed have events and extreme climate/weather COVID of problems to address the our food system and should inspire motivation a rise in food prices and food already seen harvest failures, have We now. resulted in a shortage have of and lockdown Sickness shortages. agricultural to experience the impacts of Our food system is continuing workers. fields of under and similar losses in meat production. being plowed vegetables it be before they get to get better, worse that things are likely Knowing hooves us to actualize solutions as quickly as possible. In order to change as possible. us to actualize solutions as quickly hooves to be will have everyone) me, consumer (you, the food system, the average supportingwilling to do their part with their fork” by local farm and “vote - a diverse such cannot have to realize that we are going to have People ers. array of foods in our diet at all times of are used to who People the year. to learnprocessed foods are going to prepare to have food alterna whole It is necessary for food to become regional, localized, specialized and tives. to become farmers, getadapted to its particular area. More people will have or otherwise support farmersinto the food business, and participate in a local food economy. capabilities of to defer to the will have People in which the environment truer This shortages will become even as water become more they live. apparent, especially in the desert regions of- are increas (which the world ing). In areas where climate extremes become the norm, season extension in the form of along with the use of greenhouses, thermal wind breaks, will will be needed. At some point we and hail protection frost covers mass, BY with the have we food is the most intimate relationship Our relationship to Earth. are made of Our flesh and bone elements of the Earth, recycled ofthrough the influences becoming part ofwater, wind and sunlight, us together in worked we past, In times and breathing. drinking through eating, procure the essentials of to isolated communities relatively Our survival life. organization and cooperation through collective and sustenance required and other, and uncertain, often tough on each relied Life was we but labor. cuisine, diverse cultures—represented humans created by in the process, art, a result of As and folklore. dance the survival of Puebloan and acequia that in a place where live to lucky are we culture in northern New Mexico, history is still remembered and practiced. resulted in the development eventually Our ancestral relationship with food of An abundance of us to grow thrive. and allowed agriculture, which food of facilitated the development eventually Technology tools and technology. created the means for some of for granted take all the things we us to have not in season to extracting materials and that’s eating food today—from energy for all of this has created an Unfortunately, our needs and wants. natural systems and all kinds ofimbalance in our planet’s problems serious crisis. our current COVID pollution, and arguably, as climate change, such CULTIVATING A SENSIBLE SENSIBLE A CULTIVATING SYSTEM FOOD GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

THE RETURN OF TRUE AGRICULTURAL LOCALISM 4 sprouted for greens in the winter. Edible mushroom habitat could be identified, expanded and created. Domestic (and wild) animals can be facilitated across the landscape for animal products in a way that rejuvenates soil ecology, using sensible and innovative grazing and re-vegetation techniques. Contamination can be broken down with intentional uses and management of ALIANZA AGRI-CULTURA the land, vegetation and waterways. With as much focus as we have nowadays on virtual reality, DE TAOS AND LANDLINK NM we should give equal attention to Nature’s reality. BY CORILIA ORTEGA AND GILLIAN JOYCE Our relationship to food is a litmus test for our relationship to the Earth and to each other. Food was once about relationships to family, community and the landscape but has since lianza Agri-Cultura de Taos has joined forces with mostly been transformed to a relationship with your wallet. The process has created collateral LandLink New Mexico to connect agricultural land- damage that looks like corporate control and slave labor on the production side; and disease, owners, producers and service providers to strength- A en food systems in Taos County. Despite several addiction and depression on the consumer side. Not to mention the environmental devasta- tion that results from extraction of water and minerals, the application of agricultural chemi- generations of land-based people having abandoned agricul- cals and post-consumer trash. ture due to changes in our economy, society and cultures, we currently see many new farmers and ranchers seeking oppor- So, as we work to solve the problem of the food system, we will find we can solve many tunities to work the land. Unfortunately, the major obstacle to problems with this one effort. Local food creates attention to your local land, water and ex- revitalizing our agricultural heritage is the reality that agricul- tended environment, including wildlife. Done correctly and with vision, we can simultaneously tural land values are prohibitively high, leaving many new or improve water quality, build soils, sequester carbon and create habitat for pollinators and other young producers with little or no opportunity to access land. organisms. Eating locally improves your health and increases your chances of surviving this Simultaneously, many of our elder owners of agricultural lands and the next epidemic. And nourished children will better be able to develop in a changing are no longer able to keep producing. world if they know where their food comes from and have a relationship to it. Whether it is in the fields, in the kitchen, at your dinner table and/or in the halls of government; we need As a result, agricultural lands, waters and traditions in Taos more focus and the priority has to be on our most basic needs, namely our sources of food, County are in trouble. Invasive species that threaten the water and our relationship to them. ¢ crops of current producers as well as our native species may be found in fallow fields. Loss of agricultural land valuation Miguel Santistevan is a father, husband, educator and farmer in Taos, N.M. challenges legacy landowners to hold onto their lands as taxes He completed a Master’s degree in agriculture ecology from the University of Cal- skyrocket. Unused ifornia, Davis, and practices Permaculture and acequia-irrigated farming with his acequia water rights wife and daughters. He is the founder of the non-profit organization Agriculture Agricultural lands, are in danger of Implementation Research & Education (AIRE). (www.growfarmers.org). being lost. We need waters and traditions the next generation of farmers to learn in Taos County are from the experience of current produc- in trouble. ers, mayordomos and commissioners.

Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos is evaluating ways in which we can support producers, agricultural lands and waters of the county. To this end, we have partnered with LandLinkNM to help connect owners of fallow land with current and potential producers, and to help producers connect with labor and services. LandLinkNM is a free online resource that lists agricultural lands for lease, trade, or available through other agreements. The site offers legal templates for leases and memorandums of understanding, a guide to agricultural land agreements specific to New Mexico, as well as pro-bono legal advice regarding land leases and agreements. Alianza Agri-Cul- tura is available to work with property owners, producers and agricultural service providers to help list their lands, needs and services on the LandLinkNM website, as well as to help get the word out. We can walk you through the process and connect you with additional resources. Contact us at 575-425-0897 with any questions. For more information, visit alianzaagricultura.org or our Facebook page, Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos. To learn more, go to www.landlinknm.org. ¢

Acequia farmer Corilia Ortega is agricultural resource and community Legumes such as beans, peas and fava beans, traditional to our region, are drought-tolerant sources of protein. outreach coordinator for Alianza Agri-cultura de Taos. Permaculturalist Peas and favas are also frost-tolerant and can be planted in early spring or even in the fall, and over-winter. Gillian Joyce, acting executive director of Alianza, is also principal at Winter wheat can be planted in the fall, emerge before winter, and go dormant until early spring. By the time Río Chiquito Research and Consulting. water runs out in the summer, wheat has already finished its life-cycle. Garbanzos and lentils are frost- and drought-tolerant. Seeds from plants that survived extreme drought, grown alongside their parent generation with no drought experience were much more productive when grown in drought conditions. Photos © Miguel Santistevan

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 5 Milpa Ecology: The milpa is a We were taught plant and biodynamic indig- Roots of Agro-Ecology enous agricultural medicinal knowledge that system. It is literally a self-contained BY JAIME CHÁVEZ forms us as people. small-scale ecosystem in tune with the In México, the Maya and people farther south are thought to have domesticated corn land, and it informs the people and their culture. It calls for a high level nearly 10,000 years ago in the transition from hunting and gathering to the domesti- of family and community participation; labor-intensive planting, watering, cation of plants. La Milpa is a term derived from the Nahuatl milpan, from milli, which weeding, and eventual crop rotation that is celebrated in the dynamic food means planted parcel. La Milpa is an ancient sustainable agricultural system, rich in culture of Native people, in ceremonies and in the harvest. It is couched biodiversity. It is best known and defined by the three sisters: corn, beans and squash. in the cycle of life, true conservation stewardship in tune with the land. These crops coexist with a variety of plants like chiles, tomatoes, wild spinach (quelites), We cannot revert but only move forward by reflecting on our ancestral amaranth (quintonilli), verdolagas, (purslane), fruit trees and herbs that form part of the knowledge (agro-science) to promote self-sufficiency, self-reliance, food indigenous diet and apothecary. independence and sovereignty. Food as medicine is deeply rooted in Mesoamerican culture. While half the world was Conclusion eating wheat, the other half was eating corn. The resilience of this agricultural system has stimulated bio-cultural dynamics in rural communities that continue to live these The pandemic has exposed the inherent weakness of our corporate-de- traditions. It is a way of life that extends from Mesoamerica through what today is the pendent consumer system. We see social collapse and we see the collapse U.S. Southwest. of our planetary climate. Mother Nature has answers and is telling us to change before it’s too late. The writing is on the wall. I am talking about cultural food traditions that now are controlled by corporate media, vis-à-vis corn chips, salsa, la milpa, masa, corn products ad infinitum—all in the We need to transform our local food systems by reviving our farming and name of profit. The world lives in the grip of post-modern agriculture, in the grip of ranching economies to fight hunger and serve New Mexico. The pan- climate change, monoculture planting, hybridization, GMOs, in the grip of pesticides demic is forcing us to think how we need to reorganize. We need to scale and chemical agriculture. The symbol of resistance in México has been “Sin Mais, no down our carbon footprint and focus on new, regenerative, smaller-scale hay Pais” (Without corn, we have no country) and forms the basis of Indigenous and agriculture to feed the children in schools, our hospitals and prisons. We campesino (farmworker) culture. La tierra es nuestra madre (the Earth is our mother), and need to focus on clean high-nutrient and mineralized foods from healthy we need to protect her and the heirloom seeds of our ancestors. This has been the soils, from our growers’ markets, road-stands, CSAs, direct-from-the-farm fight around NAFTA, to respect Indigenous intellectual property, food sovereignty marketing, e-commerce, farm-to-restaurant, etc. We need to mitigate waste, and to preserve a way of life. mulch, and build small farms and ranches that are not dependent on chemical agriculture. My abuela (grandmother), a Yaqui farmer, would rise before dawn, pray, then make tortillas, frijoles (beans), calabasa, (squash) with tantito chile, cebolla y tomate con huevos del gallinero (a little chile, onions and tomato with eggs from the chicken coop). We were Here is a quote from La Montañita Food Co-op’s publication, The Bean: self-reliant—ate everything from the ground. Those are not weeds; they are herbs! We One of the root issues we should be looking at is the weakness of our corporate food were taught plant and medicinal knowledge that forms us as people, from this very system. Distribution, not scarcity, is the true problem. Mega-farms funnel crops through land, to learn, practice and transmit to future generations. a limited number of giant food processors and distributors, all of which generate maximum waste while using the maximum amount of energy and fossil fuel. When one The whole paradigm La agua es Sagrada (water is sacred). We would of these components breaks down or is interrupted, the entire system grinds to a halt have nothing without water. That is why we resulting in further waste, economic crashes and human hardship. bless our acequias, (hydro-gravitational irriga- needs to be flipped tion flow systems), our people, our tools, the This is really about health. All our mothers have said at one time or anoth- plants and this way of life as we face all of er that you are what you eat. During the Depression, my mother said, “We and reconfigured. the pressures of modern life. As La Senora may have cardboard in our shoes, but we sure eat well!” Moya said, “We bless the inside and the outside of the fruits.” Even in the The milpa is a biodynamic Midwest, In my mind, milpa ecology gestated the agro-ecology movement of today. I have seen industrial in agro-ecology gatherings the use of estiercol (manure) to elevate nitrogen levels in the indigenous agricultural system mono-crop soil. Today these practices are manifested in agro-ecology, Permaculture, biodynam- farmers are ic farming and traditional organic no-till methods, but have their roots in the forest that is literally a self-contained beginning to gardens and milpas of Mayan, Nahuatl, Mesoamerican life. The Hopi have always used realize the the planting stick, rainwater (dryland farming in the Southwest desert), grinding corn benefits of on a metate (flat volcanic grinding stone) to make blue corn paper thin piki bread, a small-scale ecosystem. historic milpa ceremonial food. farming with companion planting such as the three sisters, by planting heirloom seeds, The protection of native and heirloom seed is a struggle against the likes of Mon- building the soil quality through manure and composting for higher nutri- santo, which has been working to control genetics and production. We cannot allow ents, minerals and healthy food. globalization to dictate our future. We must take control at the local level by working together, impacting policies and changing the course of normal business with a vision We need to build regenerative models of agriculture that build on tradi- in tune with the Earth. tional knowledge and Native science to protect human health, soil health

6 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 and nutrient density. We need to build the capacity and infrastructure to move from consumer-dependent to become producers.

All the contributors to this article and sidebar are engaged with the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council. They are all involved in food systems work and are examining legislative priorities, agricultural policy initiatives in a New Mexico economy that faces a $2.4-billion revenue shortfall because of its dependence on oil and gas. We are still an energy colony. New Mexico needs to get its food system priorities straight and critically think about our future food reserves! We must preserve our prime and critical farmlands from developer speculation.

We all know we are living in crucial times. The challenges are before us. We cannot wait for the political stars to line up. We must act now! Time to flip and reconfigure the paradigm. Economies of scale, sustainability.

There is no going back to normal. ¢

Jaime Chávez is from Atrisco and Pajarito, N.M., with farm and ranch families on both sides. He is national field organizer for the Washington, D.C.-based Rural Coalition. He gardens in his milpas in the Manzanos, east of Albuquer- que. [email protected], https://www.ruralco.org

oung and beginning farmers across New Mexico are cultivating more then fresh produce; we are working together to increase access to local “ food in underserved communities, advocating for anti-racist policies and Y processes at both state and federal levels. We are returning to our roots, listening to the lands that we steward and finding innovative ways to build a strong local food economy that supports both farmers and eaters. Many groups around the state have been working on these important tasks for years: the Agri-Cultu- ra Network, La Semilla Food Center, New Mexico Acequia Association, Black Farmers and Ranchers, Rural Coalition and the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), to name a few.

In response to COVID-19, the Río Grande Farmers Coalition (local chapter of NYFC) banded together to create a farmer-run CSA program that provides 85 families with weekly veggies from 10 farms in the Middle Río Grande. Small-scale producers have been forced to pivot business plans, work quickly and collabora- tively to build new markets, and think critically about both the future of our local food systems and the violent and oppressive agricultural history our country was built upon. As we find ourselves creating a “new normal,” young farmers in New Mexico recognize that a bright and just future for agriculture is not possible without addressing the stark inequities in our food system and ensuring that farmers of color are able to succeed.”

– ZOE FINK NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS’ COALITION NEW MEXICO CAMPAIGN

The New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group recently released a new study of the state’s agriculture and food economy, which was prepared by the Crossroads Resource Center and based on publicly available data. The 46-page New Mexico Farm & Food Economy combines statewide data on agricultural income and produc- Above: Gladiolas, cucumber and melon plants in front of greenhouse, Atrisco; tion expenses with information on food and health-related sectors. Hemp farmers, Chimayó; Top: Heirloom melon harvest; Farm Shark farm’s jarred organic cucumbers, Atrisco/South Valley, N.M. Photos © Jaime Chávez

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 7 PERFECT STORM

The report shows that commodity farming has created in- ON THE NAVAJO NATION creasingly higher cash receipts, but because of an equal rise in BY JAMES SKEET production expenses, this trend has not resulted in greater net cash income. This means that farmers have to take on more The pandemic, which has spread like wildfire, combined with generations of poor-quality and more debt each year but don’t make more profit—in fact food and corrupt political and health systems, has generated the perfect storm on the Na- 70 percent of farms reported a net loss in 2017 (the most vajo Nation. Our ill health began with diseases spread by Europeans and continued with current year reported). commodity foods with few nutrients, handed out by the federal government—ultimately resulting in diabetes, hypertension, cancer and more. New Mexico figures are in line with a nationwide trend that is proving detrimental to our farm economy as well as pub- It is time for Natives to fight against unjust systems. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is lic and environmental health. While farm cash receipts have a prime perpetuator in that it tears down Indigenous traditional practices and pushes our increased dramatically over the past century, from $6 billion in worldview out to the margins. Its system of servicing people with synthetic medicines that 1910 to $363 billion in 2018, production expenses rose just as carry long-term side effects is detrimental to all Natives, as well as to American people in fast, increasing from $4 billion in 1910 to $359 billion in 2018. general. Most of these expenses are related to buying agrochemicals, petroleum products and agricultural inputs that can negatively The federal government has not given the Navajo Nation full authority to shape and affect soil health and water quality, decrease the nutritional commission its own health policies in ways that allow creative outcomes. That is because value of food and contribute to global warming. its “Nation-to-Nation” policies were originally established to facilitate extractive resources. The casualties we see demonstrate the inadequacy of our healthcare and political systems. In the country that proudly says, “We feed the world,” there has been no appreciable growth in the value of net farm in- Let me explain: When you take away an entire people’s way of life by putting them on come, despite rising productivity and expansion to global mar- reservations and expect them to become a people imagined by a foreign government, they kets. Looking at the net cash income as a percentage of sales, fail. Colonization has damaged our ability to be self-reliant. As a result, we struggle to find there has been a tremendous erosion of profitability, from 33 our way out of ill health to rise above poverty. percent of sales to 1 percent of sales—a percentage that has been lost to middlemen, selling big equipment, agro-chemi- cals, patented seed and fuel. Regenerative Farming We teach and and Soil Life While the report is sobering, there is opportunity to be found among the numbers. By building soil health, farmers can gain demonstrate So, do we just hunker down or do we truly independence from costly inputs and become prosperous lead our people through the storm? My wife again, while providing wholesome food for our communities. techniques that are and I, in full gear, have stepped into a world To learn more about economic opportunities by focusing on that supports our mission of growing grow- soil health and to download the complete study, visit www. ers. During the past five years, since we tossed NMhealthysoil.org local and regenerative. our corporate jobs to the wind, we have posi- tioned ourselves to survive pandemic storms – ISABELLE JENNICHES by moving into a self-sufficient lifestyle, and NEW MEXICO HEALTHY SOILS PROGRAM more importantly, toward healing ourselves. We have been transformed and can now challenge the system that has been so destructive to our greater purpose in life.

Several recent studies, including the COVID Impact Survey We have growers in New Mexico and Arizona looking to us for advice and support. We and surveys from The Hamilton Project found that food in- lack the resources to fully and comfortably engage each grower to be successful on a deep security has gone up dramatically since the pandemic began... level. We teach and demonstrate techniques that are local and regenerative. We try hard to Thirty-four percent of households with a child age 18 and tie Indigenous cosmology into the picture to help each farmer reimagine his or her way under are food-insecure, an increase of about 130 percent. of life and emulate the self-sufficiency of our ancestors. As each farmer accomplishes this in manageable steps, he or she comes to realize the potential of breaking the cycle of de- Currently as a state, New Mexico is importing most of its pendency on government handouts. When Native growers eat their own food and know food from outside sources. Now You Know New Mexico is where foods originated, something in their minds and hearts begins to change and they addressing food insecurity and food sovereignty by promoting begin the journey back to their own center. They find their true identity; they find what the creation of local food production systems that nurture it means to be Indigenous. Our job at Spirit Farm is to tickle the DNA hidden in their and maximize localized food production capabilities. We are nature and help surface a rebirth. working to bridge the gap between rural and urban markets serving the demand for clean, healthy, nutritious food. We We see our community desiring advance public health and food security for the long-term. It is time for Natives to to eat healthy foods. Meats from We honor farmers and ranchers and their practice of healthy grass-fed pigs, turkeys, chickens, regenerative soil initiatives to build food sovereignty and posi- fight against unjust systems. sheep and cattle have higher levels tively impact food insecurity by creating economic opportuni- of nutrition than grain-fed animals ty and job creation. Our work strives to reverse the conditions with high levels of Omega-6 fatty of poverty and hunger within our communities. acids that cause inflammation and chronic disease. We demonstrate techniques such as mob grazing and the use of cover crops. We show our people that food can become our – ERNIE RIVERA DIRECTOR, NOW YOU KNOW NEW MEXICO medicine again. By raising up farmers and ranchers to tackle climate change with regenerative farming, we also make strides to dismount from dependency and return to a regenerative economy.

8 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Hoop-house in winter; Greenhouse interior; Sheep at sunset © Mary Gaul

Covenant Pathways’ Spirit Farm Will you help us accomplish these goals? We have growers, homesteaders and ranchers willing to take on the task. The growth we are seeing in farming and ranching encourages others to take up the lifestyle. Because of the pandemic, we have become Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Navajos. We want to direct our faces into the storm with courage and willingness to pay the ultimate price of resistance in order to keep our nature of being Indigenous warriors. Covenant Pathways provides the materials, and the DIY Navajos do all the work to start and maintain their projects.

This spring we provided materials for 18 DIY Garden Scouts and Chicken Coopers. There are many more who are eager and waiting for this small opportunity. DIY Garden Scouts need fencing materials and garden kits with a full supply of rich compost and mulch. ($250). DIY Chicken Coopers need fencing, coop buildings and labor to set up five hens and one rooster: ($350). DIY Sheep Farmers need fencing for a corral, shelter, three ewes and a ram to get started: ($650). DIY Pig Cowboys need pig panels, shelter, two sows and one boar ($500). DIY Compost Warriors need stiff wire, chicken wire, pallets and organic material to start thermal Our food can become composting bins ($60). our medicine again. Garden Headmen and Headwomen have been trained in Soil Life Farming and are mentors for the DIY scouts, coopers, cowboys, farmers and warriors. We currently have four headmen and headwomen. We also provide them with plant and tree starts, and small greenhouses ($500).

We also get technical information out to Navajo farmers and ranchers. Each online workshop/podcast requires $200. Planting cover crops for soil restoration takes 50 pounds of seed ($120), seed drills ($500–$1,000) and ATVs to pull the seed drills ($5,000–$9,000 each). Water sequestration tanks and gutters capture rainwater ($200 per home). Large shipments of straw and organic materials for mulch- ing, 100-plus pallets to use as windbreaks, 40 water barrels ($300). ¢

Donations may be sent to Covenant Pathways, P.O. Box 455, Vanderwagen, N.M. 87326 or through the website (Covenantpathways.org), where there are podcasts and videos in English and Navajo. Email: [email protected]

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 9 USE CHESS STRATEGY TO FIRST NATIONS’ FARM-TO-SCHOOL GRANTS WIN IN FOOD-SECURITY irst Nations Development Institute (www.firstnations.org), under its “Indigenous CRISIS IN TAOS Farming and Environmental Stewardship: A Native Farm-to-School Initiative, Continuing the Tradition,” has awarded four grants to Native American farm-to-school pro- F grams in New Mexico. The programs utilize experiential and classroom-based BY MIKE MUSIALOWSKI education. They also honor Native American knowledge and engage communities. One may think that a community response to the needs A news release says: “Native Americans have managed and cultivated land utilizing brought on by the novel coronavirus should be bold and swift. traditional knowledge for thousands of years. Native cultures’ holistic approach to food I’d like to add that a lasting response could also be like a series involves planting, growing, blessing, harvesting, celebrating and honoring. It is tied to of chess moves. I’m speaking specifically about the need for a commitment to caring for children, community and the natural world. Based on this, local food to support unemployed families. With at least 38 the Native Farm-to-School Initiative focuses on both agricultural education and Native million new unemployment claims nationwide since the begin- cultural values of environmental stewardship and sustainability.” ning of the year, multiple experts are anticipating unemployment rates similar to the Great Depression. Can you envision First Nations is also providing technical assistance and support to the following four one out of every five Taoseños out of a job? Taos has too programs to expand their activities: much talent, tenacity and tradición to simply rely on a chaotic federal government response. With winter only months away, Ancestral Lands – Pueblo of Acoma the way to play this chess game of take-care-of-la-gente is to This is an all-inclusive and holistic agriculture class presented in partnership with the think many moves in advance. local Haak’u Community Academy. It includes modules on composting, creating raised- bed gardens with drip irrigation, seed saving and preparing food. Students learn ways in The variables that which soil, water, air and land have been used traditionally and how these elements have Producing food on a a food-security been impacted by climate change and natural resource extraction. chess player needs longer timeline is part to consider include Native American Community Academy – Albuquerque experienced farm- This program has incorporated focus areas such as environmental sustainability, native of a broader strategy. ers, land, water, plants, vegetative management, land stewardship and soil health. The funded project seed, money, labor, builds on this approach by investing in environmental education for urban elementary through high school students. They learn awareness and applications of land-based pedagogy practices that increase ways people can find resolutions to current and future environmental challenges. Pueblo of Zia This program increases awareness of the importance of healthy soils and a farm-to-school approach. The staff collaborates with New Mexico State University, Sandoval County Master Gardeners and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide hands- on training to the pueblo’s farmers as well as to elementary to high school students on soil sampling, analysis and amendments. They learn how healthy soil can improve community access to Sacks of New Mexico pinto beans ready for bagging at a Taos food bank fresh food and how extra produce can © Jim O’Donnell be marketed to schools. Sanostee Day School – Sanostee Families that have unused land Students are provided with hands-on problem-solving experiences. Through with water rights can coordinate the school garden, they conduct scientific experiments and see how they, with landless farmers. as individuals, can positively impact the environment. The first part of the program provides professional develop- tools, storage, refrigeration, markets and volunteers, to name a ment for staff on how to integrate the few. Then, money, via donors, grantmaking foundations (like the Taos Community Foundation), crowdfunding and some Corn grown at Kewa Pueblo (Santa Domingo), garden and environmental project into governments can support all of the above. This game of Shop of the Rainbow Man, Santa Fe the curriculum. chess is not the typical power struggle with brutal sacrifices of © Seth Roffman “weaker” pieces and carnage, but more about how the various pieces represent all the contributing food-system roles are best moved in concert, together as a team.

10 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 FOOD SECURITY AND PANDEMIC RELIEF 11 - - - GREENFIRETIMES.COM ¢ That’s how we we how “gift + issue = change.” That’s Mike Musialowski teaches math and science at Taos Academy and volunteers Musialowski teaches math and science at Taos Mike for local agricultural nonprofit organizations. Conservation Corps García and Isabella O’Donnell members Evan Photos: Youth volunteer Land Trust Taos Taos. Park, at Río Fernando weed gardens chard in the planter mother’s Nate unload bound soil for Nate’s gardener and young BrettTomadin Community volunteer helps build planter boxes. box; Photos © Jim O’Donnell First, in order to keep local farmers local to keep in order First, services use their we can afloat, to Church Episcopal St. James support Table, as Shared such food banks Elementary and Enos García service. food-to-student Thefood pantry, supporting has been Norteño many Depot in Santa Fe based Food verydonations (some Thankfully, money. All this requires communities. very is grateful. in and our community been pouring large) But we have with one seed if birds can feed two staples with and purchase network we Farmers’ farmersfrom as many local/regional Mar The Taos as possible. a coronavirus-safe strategy is evolving ket and needs our support in the face of angles can help meet food These financial traffic. reduced foot needs in the short-term. are already the lifeblood ofSecond, volunteers Unpaid resilience. Taos food bank staff 1,500 bags every up donations into over are dividing distribute Co-op volunteers Food Taos more. and sometimes other week, can offer buying in bulk. Folks as more people are now large shipments, company and their garden weeding help to a neighbor enjoying while outdoors with safe social distancing. conversation Third, on a longer producing food timeline is part of a broader strate- in and the underemployed in our youth really help to invest It would gy. our time of Pueblo training programs need. Formal those at Taos like & Education Farm, Agriculture Willow Research Implementation Red the Taos Outreach, Not Forgotten initiative, (AIRE), Farm-to-School are mentoring new farmers as others, and land as well Land Trust, are informal of as valuable networks Just stewards. families and neighbor a “Grow on planting and irrigation invited are hoods where youth days. bro” is an attitude of for your row inclusion and action that many of us prepare for the large as we harvestcan take fall need. Let’s desperately we hold that vision of really it happen. Homeowners abundance and make been planting “victory gardens”have nutritional financial and to reduce stress while maintaining belief in a time of in ourselves crisis. rights can coordinate land with water unused have families that Fourth, The LandLink and with landless farmers to increase farming “capacity.” programsTaos Brown-to-Green Alianza Agri-Cultura at the nonprofit de to revitalize land with huge potential. doing this critical work are actively The sharing of any of these farming resources including logistics and administration represent the greatest good out on the chessboard. played game requires integrationA well-played of but not ev all these parts, If to juggle chess. like at eryone to play all these variables likes don’t you support reliable local organizations and the new But let’s fine. that’s once, a leadership in Disaster council to play OrganizationsCommunity Active can. I once witnessed a them up with our actions when we role and back educator use the phrase high-school can play this game and plan for our needs. Pick one of Pick this gamecan play and plan for our needs. these roles on the and natural gift/talent to that issue, board, apply your food-security chess survive strong into the future. Taos watch A.I.R.E.’s Growing Community Now Project

BY MICAH ROSEBERRY

A.I.R.E. stands for Agriculture, Implementation, Research and Educa- tion. Our nonprofit, Taos-based organization has been supplying boxes of vegetables, fruit, flour, eggs and beef to families in need in the Taos School district and Taos Pueblo, in addition to 150 CSA members. A.I.R.E.’s Farms-to-Families food-share program has delivered food directly to low-income households that are not able to support their nutritional needs through school meal distributions and community food banks.

The program procures, aggregates and distributes locally and regionally produced products in an effort that benefits both families and food producers. A.I.R.E. is dedicated to building a strong regional food supply chain that supports the community during the current crisis and for the long-term.

We wish to thank the following farmers and ranchers for working to produce food for our community. We also want to thank the generous CSA member supporters, New Mexico Foundation, All Together New Mexico Fund, the Zone Grant Collaborative, and the New Mexico Farmers’ Mar- ket Relief Fund Grant for contributing so generously.

Big Wheel Wheat Farm, Costilla Cerro Vista Farm, Cerro Copper Pot Farm, Taos Not Forgotten Outreach Morningstar Farm, Arroyo Seco Veteran’s Mitchel Farm, Taos El Bosque Farm, Dixon Middle Aged Spread Farm, Taos Martínez Ranch, Taos Pueblo Freshie’s Farm, Velarde Ojo Caliente Farm, Ojo Caliente Taos Community Farms Trujillo Farms, Chimayó Cerro San Cristobal Bison Ranch ¢ Zitro Farm, Chimayó

Micah Roseberry has years of experience in organic, sustainable and biodynamic agriculture. She owns the Farmhouse Café and Bakery in El Prado (Taos).

Geronimo Romero, from Taos Pueblo, a member of the Ríos del Norte Farm and Ranch Co-op, baked bread with Photos: High school interns plant tomatoes in a new high-tunnel at Arroyos del Norte local flour in his horno and coordinated distribution of 200 Elementary School, part of a Taos Farm-to-School, Taos Municipal Schools and Farm-to-Family boxes to Taos Pueblo families. Romero has A.I.R.E. effort to provide local food for school lunches. Food and seed delivered by the tripled production on his farm and works with an intern, Care Center at Enos García Community School; Blue corn and sunflowers at Parr Paul Montoya, from A.I.R.E.’ s Young Farmer Intern Field Community School in downtown Taos; Paul Montoya, 2020 high school gradu- Program, co-sponsored by the LOR Foundation, the Zone ate, harvests lettuce at the Taos Community Farm’s CSA garden, which distributes to Grant Collaboration, Taos Community Foundation and 163 members. Photos © Micah Roseberry except cornfield © Rose Carmona the New Mexico Farmers’ Market Relief Fund.

12 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Bode’s Market, Santa Fe We partnered with 10 Community Foundation, New Mexico Community nonprofits to form the Foundation, Los Alamos Community Foundation, No Kid Hungry, Mc- Northern NM Emergency Cune Charitable Foun- dation, Some Serious Food Network Coalition. Business, and the Río Arriba County Commis- sion. This also would not have been possible without donations from growers: Ojo Farms, Malandro Farms, Querencia Farm, and the wonderful farmers at the Abiquiú Farmers’ Market and vendors at the Española Farmers’ Market. ¡Mil gracias!

It hasn’t been easy for any of us to adjust to COVID-19. We adapted as best we could and are still adjusting. In the meanwhile, we have followed COVID-19 protocols while teaching the benefits of earth-based experiences, reciprocity and the power of art in action. As youth were quarantining, spring included monthly virtual art hang-outs as well as a newsletter called the “Sometimes Weekly News.” This became a way to share art, recipes and gardening tips with other youth in our ex- tended community.

Summer has been a time of art and gardening while practicing social distancing to stay safe. We hosted a virtual plant sale with local farmers and provided plants, seeds, soil, growing information and an invitation to children and teens to showcase on social media what they planted. We NORTHERN YOUTH welcomed Beata Tsosie- Peña of Tewa Women United as our Perma- PROJECT culture mentor. “The youth are learning how Supporting the Dreams of Northern New Mexico Teens to grow their own food, how to create healthy Through Earth-based Programming and Art as Activism soil, what to plant when, water-catchment, the im- BY FAITH MAXWELL portance of seed saving and biodiversity,” said Northern Youth Project (NYP) was founded in 2009 by-teens-for-teens as a garden coordinator, Alex platform to develop skills that foster health, academic performance and personal Jaramillo. Being outdoors, investment in Northern New Mexico’s communities. NYP provides year-round free creative and safe has been programs and activities that put teens’ interests, ideas and passions into action with a great way to develop projects they want to do. Since 2009, NYP has supported rural youth ages 12 to 21 resilience and thrive in with agriculture, art, community service and leadership projects. these new times. ¢

In March, as the pandemic hit, we partnered with 10 nonprofits to form the Northern New Mexico Emergency Food Network Coalition. We focused on getting Faith Maxwell is director healthy local produce to people in our often-forgotten communities and supporting of operations of the North- our local growers. NTP’s Green Gifts Program initially serviced Abiquiú, Gallina, ern Youth Project, based Coyote, Cañones and Youngsville. Each week, we procured, packaged and delivered in Abiquiú, N.M. info@ between 60 and 85 bags of vegetables, as well as personal protective equipment, northernyouthproject.org, (PPE) to more than 800 families. We are now planning for the fall and winter. www.northernyouthproject.org

We want to thank the following collaborators and supporters for supporting our Garden intern with snail; NYP senior intern efforts: Española Community Market, Produce Market, Trader Joe’s, Center Market, and daughter; Young explorer GREENFIRETIMES.COM 13 Emergency Food Relief Families, individuals, elders and neighbors were encouraged to come, How partners came together to feed Santa Fe County during COVID-19 no questions asked. BY LUCY GENT FOMA AND SONORA RODRÍGUEZ Many navigators noticed a gap in services for homebound individ- On March 17, an email came to the Santa Fe County Planning Division: “Is the county planning uals who did not meet requirements of programs such as Meals any type of service/resource to help residents?” Soon after, another followed from a community on Wheels, which serves our senior population. Once again, we outside of the city: “Where can people get food if they can’t afford it? Any resource or service that teamed up with community partners and developed a plan to meet can help us weather this virus storm?” More email from residents and community representatives the need of individuals experiencing food insecurity who did not arrived shortly thereafter. The COVID-19 pandemic had already hit in one of the hardest ways: have the ability to access food distribution sites. We currently pro- lack of food. vide groceries from the Food Depot, delivered by Santa Fe Valet, to 40 households each week, in addition to the larger distribution Santa Fe County established a COVID Task Force. Two staff members sit on the Santa Fe Food sites county-wide. Policy Council along with representatives of other government and non-profit agencies. The council quickly realized that their knowledgeable members could address food scarcity very rapidly. The One of the most important outcomes of the collaboration has working group received a report of a family of seven children and three adults living in a one-bed- been the goodwill and partnership created among formerly siloed room house who had called YouthWorks for food. Soon, thousands more people than usual were agencies and nonprofits. COVID-19 hit our underserved com- coming to the Food Depot. Restaurants and grocery stores were having trouble receiving their munities the hardest. Up north, where 34 to 43 percent of the regular food orders. population lives below poverty level, business closures quickly left many destitute and hungry. The partners that stepped up to figure We were grateful when a volunteer stepped forward out how to move money around, make in-kind contributions, or Partnerships have been to share his wealth of experience fighting hunger in quickly problem-solve logistics have become a more functional and large cities. Robert Eggers, a board member of World productive network. created among former- Central Kitchen—a nonprofit funded to provide meals in the wake of natural disasters—jumped into In addition, this pandemic has brought our county staff closer ly siloed agencies and the challenge of coordinating partners and vetting to people we seek to engage. We know each other’s names and locations for setting up a food preparation operation. recognize faces, having seen them every week for months. Santa Fe non-profits. With the generous contribution of the Santa Fe Com- County tries to engage people from diverse backgrounds, and we munity College Foundation, which provided a kitchen are now building those relationships organically. We hope to bring at the college, SFCC Culinary Arts Program Chef Jerry Dakan, Culinary Arts faculty and talented all of our new acquaintances into the processes of planning the fu- young culinary students began preparing thousands of healthy meals (with a hefty dose of tradi- ture of food production, supply and distribution in the long-range tional New Mexico ingredients) on a daily basis. Local guest chefs also pitched in. Nursing program effort of improving our local food system.¢ faculty screened volunteers and took temperatures to ensure no one had a fever. Through June, the county—in partnership with World Central Kitchen, YouthWorks, SFCC, Street Lucy Gent Foma is senior planner and Sonora Rodríguez Food Institute, Salvation Army, Las Golondrinas, Santa Fe Valet and the City of Santa Fe—dis- is community planner at Santa Fe County. tributed over 18,000 meals at 12 locations. Each week, meals in coolers were taken to communities that span the 1,900 miles of the county—from Edgewood, down south, to Santa Cruz, up north. The county also contracted with the Food Depot for boxes of groceries. Santa Fe Valet provided pickup and delivery. Families, individuals, elders and neighbors were encouraged to come, no questions asked. Did you need to bring food to someone homebound? Take an extra couple meals. Have a neighbor with five kids? Take a grocery box for them, too. Eventually, supplies ran out before the allotted hour for distribution. The county experienced firsthand the very immediate impacts of COVID-19 and has adjusted programs to meet this need beyond the emergency aid that came in the early months. Many people were very grateful. Ms. Vigil from Chimayó would come with her granddaughter. Toward the end of the kitchen’s 50,000 meal run, she wrote to the staff: “Thank you for your kindness during this difficult time. The meals you have provided for my family were wonderful. Not only because they were delicious but because it made one less thing for me to worry about. I genuinely appreciate Santa Fe County and its partners. I've attached a picture of my granddaughter's prayer tree. We've placed a tag on the tree with all partners' names. We prayed that all employees, volunteers and their family members be blessed with good health, happiness and an abundance of God’s love.” Many residents also found assistance through the CONNECT network, a city and county partnership that assists individuals in accessing resources such as housing, shelter, transportation and food. CONNECT is a network of “navigators” at clinics, community organizations and city and county programs. Navigators are community health workers, volunteers or social workers. Agencies in the network are connected through a shared technology platform, enabling them to send and receive secure electronic referrals.

Photos: By mid-August, Santa Fe YouthWorks had surpassed the 90,000 meal mark for its COVID-19 relief program. YouthWorks also partnered with ReUnity Farm and started a garden program to supplement purchases; Vehicles line up for food relief in Santa Fe

14 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 The pandemic has left communities across The regenerative farm New Mexico vulnerable to unemployment, food insecurity and limited access to vital re- project is designed to sources. The juggernauts of Santa Fe’s economy—tourism and hospitality—were, at least be a replicable model temporarily, decimated. But food is a non-ne- gotiable necessity. When the supply chain was for New Mexico. disrupted, the importance of locally produced foods suddenly became obvious. Beyond this crisis, workforce training and food security are keys to resolving long-term poverty and health inequities.

Nonprofits Reunity Resources and Santa Fe YouthWorks came together to address impacts of the crisis by partnering with New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps. They created a safe work environment on Reunity’s farm, where they have been growing food for YouthWorks’ emergency meals program. They also attracted support from Agua Fría Village, the Mother Nature Center and Alas de Agua Art Collective. Using texts and social media, Alas de Agua connects families in need to food and resources. In CULTIVATING HOPE August, on one day each week, the group provided curbside food-box distribution IN HARD TIMES to 400-500 people in south Santa Fe. With support from Santa Fe County, Reunity Resources and SF YouthWorks bolster food security the groups are remediating a neglected, and employment opportunity desertified one-acre plot near the Santa Fe River. Like much vacant land in New BY JULIANA CIANO, MELYNN SCHUYLER AND RACHEL MOORE Mexico, the site has compacted soil and ReUnity Resources farm produce stand

Empower Yourself with Education at Santa Fe Community College

Committed to serving our community, SFCC offers a wide range of credit classes and lifelong learning opportunities.

• Continuing Education classes begin September 8. Offerings include: online classes for kids, foreign languages, online yoga, multimedia arts, and more. See class listing at sfcc.edu/CE. • Many late starting fall classes are still enrolling. Find a complete list at sfcc.edu/late-starting. • Adult Education, High School Equivalency and ESL courses are also available. Visit sfcc.edu/ae. (Due to COVID-19 SFCC is offering classes primarily online.)

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GREENFIRETIMES.COM 15 other challenges, which are being FARM-TO- successfully resolved. In order to increase the amount of food FOODBANK grown and consumed in New Mexico, land reclamation for re- PROJECT generative agriculture must be demonstrat- A Response to the COVID 19 Pandemic ed, documented and replicated. To that BY SAYRAH NAMASTE end, the groups are preparing the new Like many small businesses, the pandemic significantly site for agricultural impacted New Mexico’s small farms economically. Many use and have engaged of their markets are no longer buying perishable pro- ReUnity Resources’ compost. Below: Youth trainee at the Community Farm New Mexico State duce. This really hit home for me in mid-March when University (NMSU) a farmer we worked with for 11 years told me, “I don’t and the County Extension to assist with documentation of regenerative farming practices and know if I can farm this year. I’ve lost every customer outcomes. and don’t know if there will be any farmers’ markets. The field I planted could rot.” It was heartbreaking Inspired by the idea of increasing food security while training and employing young people, County to hear. He had graduated from our farmer training Commissioner Anna Hansen negotiated a no-cost lease of the land in exchange for donations of food program and co-founded a farm cooperative with us. He to county hunger efforts. She said, “I am grateful to Reunity Resources for creating this innovative had a decade of experience growing organically and a model of community agriculture.” family to support.

Founded in 2011, Reunity Resourc- The “pandemic is a portal”; es’ closed-loop community farm we don’t need to go back to the and composting facility recycles food waste into old ways that don’t work for its soil instead of relying on the majority and benefit a few. artificial fertilizers. Reunity has – Arundhati Roy diverted more than 1.5 million pounds of food Across our state, food pantries had a large increase in waste from local need as unemployment grew, yet they were also seeing a landfills annu- decrease in donations, as grocery stores, trying to keep ally. Since 2015, shelves stocked, were donating less. In two weeks in Reunity has April, Roadrunner Food Bank (the state’s largest) spent provided on- double its annual budget on food purchases. the-job training. Eighteen young people currently work part-time, learning about sustainable agriculture, seed-saving, soil Could American Friends Service Committee–New health, irrigation design, landscape management and solar power. After a morning working side-by-side Mexico (AFSC-NM) bridge the gap between farmers in the fields, YouthWorks trainees cook food they have harvested and share traditional New Mexican who have food and food banks that need it? I wondered. recipes. I had budgeted for the annual Cesar Chávez Day fiesta and helped organize a day of service for 350 Albuquer- YouthWorks serves a low-income population that faces housing challenges and intergenerational pover- que Public School students at a local farm. Both events ty. Seventy-four percent are Hispanic and 10 percent Native American. By partnering with social service had been canceled, freeing up funds. “The best way to organizations, local businesses and government agencies, YouthWorks connects at-risk teens and young honor Cesar Chávez is not to throw a party, but to con- adults to career opportunities. tinue his legacy,” farmworker leader Baldemar Velásquez once told me. The partners envision the new agricultural area-food forest as an anchor for an Agua Fría Village Plaza where local artisans and vendors sell products. Public workshop space will be available. The venue is And that’s how Farm-to-Foodbank started. also intended to help secure the food supply chain and promote trade, while educating, training and employing young people as resource stewards, and improving the quality of life in New Mexico.¢ To date, AFSC-NM has supported 21 small-scale sustainable farms across the state that we had built relationships with over decades. Our focus has always been to Juliana Ciano is co-founder and outreach coordinator at Reunity Resources (www.reunityresources.com). support them in growing food for those with the least Melynn Schuyler is executive director and Rachel Moore is workforce and personnel director access. We immediately supplied these farmers with seeds and farm materials, as well as new safety items like at Santa Fe YouthWorks (www.santafeyouthworks.org).

16 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Community Foundation of New Mexico also contributed. Then we were contacted by the County of Bernalillo, which loved that the program was a “win-win” for both local agriculture and hungry people. They offered emergency funds too. We are so grateful to everyone who made it possible for farmers to get a fair price for their food and for those most needing assistance to get such good quality food. Healthy produce is highly desirable, especially by those with underlying health conditions, who are most at risk for COVID-19.

In August, a South Valley farmer and former intern told me: “If I didn’t have AFSC’s Farm-to-Foodbank to sell my produce to, I might not have farmed this year because I lost most of my restaurants and farmers’ markets. I was able to employ two workers this season at living wages. The program is a lifesaver.”

There are many inequities in the food system, and for this window of time we have been able to find a tangible way to support our sustainable farms economically while prioritizing low-income people with access to food. Arundhati Roy has said the “pandemic is a portal”; we don’t need to go back to the old ways that don’t work for the majority and benefit a few. As we see all the wonderful ways our fellow New Mexicans face masks have adapted to the pandemic, we hope we don’t return to normal, but build better, and gloves. Healthy produce is highly more equitable systems. ¢ They in desirable, especially by turn are to provide a Sayrah Namaste is program director of the American Friends Service Committee–NM. those with underlying health portion of She has helped create farmer training and farm-to-school programs, farmer cooperatives and gardening the food curriculum for New Mexico schools. 505-842-7743, [email protected] they grow to conditions, who are most local food pantries. at risk for COVID-19. In the first three weeks, seven farms received seeds, irrigation, face masks and organic pest-control materials, and signed agreements to “pay it back” with vegetables and fruit through Farm- to-Foodbank.

“This is a really great program! Financial support at this time is very helpful to our farm,” an Albuquerque farmer told us when we got him seeds and organic pest management in the spring. He has paid it back in $500 worth of garlic, tomatoes and green beans over the summer. Other farmers were telling us that seed companies wouldn’t sell to them, so we put in a large seed order with a company we worked with for decades and shared them among farms participating in Farm-to-Foodbank.

We purchase fresh vegetables and fruit every week from the Agri-Cultura Network, a farmer cooperative we incubated, and delivered their food to Roadrunner Foodbank. We also purchase from farmers from Albuquerque, Acoma, Jémez, Española Valley and Taos Valley; and supply their food to East Central Ministries, located in the International District of Albuquerque; St. Martin’s/Hopeworks; S.A.F.E. House, Joy Junction and Breath of My Heart Birthplace, as well as food pantries in Taos.

The response has been wonderful. Staff and volunteers are used to getting produce that are near expiration when they receive them. They are amazed at the fresh produce we give them. The CEO of Roadrunner Foodbank said, “When people are willing to raise their hands in times of difficulties like these, nutritious food is very much needed.”

Across the country, people got excited about the program, and more than 100 individual donors gave tens of thousands of dollars. We were so moved by their generosity. We had never received so much mail or so many phone calls in my 13 years at AFSC-NM.

The Lydia B. Stokes Foundation, a small Quaker family foundation, gave us emergency funds so we could start. The ABQ Friends (Quaker) Meet- Growers at the Mountain View community garden in Albuquerque, N.M. ing, Nahalat Shalom Synagogue, ABQ Mennonite Church and the Jewish Photos © Core Visual

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 17 ing the co-op’s existing Local Food System La Montañita Co-op’s delivery routes. Refriger- ated trucks with experi- Distribution Center fills a enced drivers and detailed Resiliency During temperature-tracking and crucial need in New Mexi- delivery systems service Global Pandemic markets that otherwise would not be possible. BY ANITA ADALJA co’s local food system: trans- Agri-Cultura utilizes this service on a weekly basis, With New Mexico’s schools closing early, senior centers halting meal service, portation. and is able to move local farmers’ markets unsure of whether they would be in operation, and restaurants produce from Albuquer- shuttering, farmers faced an uncertain future. Grocery stores had limited supplies que to food-hubs, restaurants, senior centers and grocery stores in Silver City, and many community members worried that there could be a food shortage. Santa Fe, Taos and Socorro.

Fear motivated action. Local Mo-Gro Mobile Grocery has been doing tremendous work to provide relief Farmers, food-hub oper- food leaders (farmers, food-hub to communities in need through their food-bag distributions. In the past few operators, cooperatives, and months, Mo-Gro has distributed tens of thousands of pounds of local produce non-profit organizations) came and groceries to the Navajo Nation, Zia & Jemez pueblos, and beyond. In part- ators, cooperatives and together to collaborate, innovate nership with Three Sisters’ Kitchen ReFresh program, they have also distributed and create a model for resiliency 12,000 pounds of produce to food-insecure families. On a weekly basis, Mo-Gro non-profits came together during a global pandemic. I wit- is purchasing from local farmers throughout the state, including those in the nessed firsthand the efforts that Agri-Cultura Network. to create a model for local enabled our local food system to thrive. With schools closing early, Canteen of New Mexico, a local food-service manage- food system resiliency. ment company that participates in the school nutrition program, was able to con- The Agri-Cultura Network duct food distribution for families at several charter schools in Albuquerque. This aggregates produce from nearly ensured that students still had access to fresh, local produce despite not being 40 local farms, ranging in size able to participate in their school lunch program. Agri-Cultura Network farmers from a quarter-acre to 13 acres. All of the produce is processed in a FDA-certi- were able to provide hundreds of pounds of produce for these distributions, and fied commercial kitchen in the South Valley Economic Development Center, and it provided an outlet for farmers who had been growing specifically for school is delivered or picked up by customers such as senior centers, schools, hospitals, programs. Meals-on-Wheels and restaurants, or distributed through Agri-Cultura’s own 300 member-subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, La Cose- In addition, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) launched its Farm- cha. to-Food-Bank program, purchasing and distributing over 7,000 pounds of produce since March to Roadrunner Food Bank. This has come from 21 local farms. When schools and restaurants closed, Agri-Cultura was able to support and be Agri-Cultura Network has been able to provide produce weekly. supported by other cooperatives and organizations, such as La Montañita Food Co-op, Mo-Gro Mobile Grocery, Three Sisters Kitchen, Canteen, the American These are just a few examples of local organizations and cooperatives evaluating Friends Service Committee and others, to ensure that local produce was still mov- challenges, collaborating and finding paths to support farmers, feed families, and ing throughout the state, farmers were able to sell their products, and food was continuing to build our local food system.¢ getting onto tables of families who needed it.

La Montañita Co-op’s Distribution Center fills a crucial need in New Mexico’s Anita Adalja is the produce and distribution manager for Agri-cultura Cooperative Network, local food system: transportation. The distribution center offers freight service to based in Albuquerque’s South Valley. She is also on the board of directors of La Montañita local food-hubs and enables farmers to move products all over the state, utiliz- Food Co-op. Adalja has worked on production farms around the country, including Silver Leaf Farms in New Mexico. AFSC NEW MEXICO A history of accompanying the people of New Mexico Since 1976, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) program in New Mexico has accompanied local people in the struggle for self determination, with particular attention to water and land use. We train small farmers in sustainable agriculture, build green infrastructure and coordinate several farm to school programs thereby providing affordable healthy 505-842-7343 food, protecting land and water rights, and upholding traditional afsc.org/newmexico cultural practices. Produce bound for community food distribution at a charter school

18 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 HEALTHY KIDS HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THE FOOD DEPOT DISTRIBUTED MILLIONS SAN ILDEFONSO PUEBLO

OF POUNDS BY MARTHA COOKE

The Food Depot, based in Santa Fe, distributed more than four During this busy harvest season, Healthy Kids San Ildefonso Pueblo is partnering with million pounds of food—the equivalent of 3.3 million meals— community volunteers and pueblo staff to reach out to area farmers to provide fresh, between mid-March and the end of June, supporting more locally grown produce to 200 San Ildefonso Pueblo community members at monthly than 34,500 people in northern New Mexico. Since January, the food distributions. organization provided an average of 725,000 meals each month to children, seniors, working families and those in ill health. The New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association and the Santa Fe Community Foun- dation have awarded Local Food Supply Chain Response Funds to the Healthy Kids Sixty-two percent was fruit and vegetables. Seventeen percent Healthy Communities (HKHC) Program at San Ildefonso. The fund is in response to was protein. The Food Depot worked with drive-through production and market disruptions in the local food supply/ value-chain brought on by mobile food pantries, three direct service programs and a COVID-19 and to provide resources to farmers, food distribution groups and others. network of over 145 nonprofit programs. As the COVID-19 response evolved, the disaster relief plan also engaged HKHC works with state and local partners to increase opportunities for healthy eating government agencies and volunteers in nine counties. This and physical activity. Local produce ensures that nutrition is readily accessible from farms resulted in new outreach initiatives, such as Hope for the in the Pojoaque Valley, and Santa Fe and Río Arriba counties. Farmers have been enthu- Homebound and Seniors y Más. siastic in their desire to support the community food distributions.

Safety nets such as the temporary increase in SNAP (food San Ildefonso Pueblo is one of 10 counties and three tribal communities that are part stamps) and unemployment insurance benefits provided of HKHC, a program of the New Mexico Department of Health. Healthy Kids San some relief. With the future of those benefits uncertain, The Ildefonso Pueblo has been working to promote locally procured food for schools and Food Depot prepared to distribute more food. But out of an families through: abundance of caution for recipients, staff and volunteers, at the end of August, The Food Depot was not accepting food • Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, Department of Health or other physical donations; however, financial support of any • Farm to School New-Mexico amount was encouraged. Visit www.thefooddepot.org • New Mexico Grown Farm-to-School Program, New Mexico Public to learn more. Education Department

Obesity prevention strategies for HKHC include strengthening school wellness policies, establishing preschool, school N.M. FARMERS MARKETING and community gardens, purchasing locally grown produce for school and ASSOCIATION senior center meal programs, establishing in-school mileage clubs, supporting RECEIVES GRANT local farmers’ markets, making streets safer for bikers and walkers and creat- In July, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation ing walking paths. To learn more about awarded a $113,000 grant to the New HKHC, visit https://nmhealth.org/about/ Mexico Farmers Marketing Association phd/pchb/hknm/. ¢ to help farmers and low-income communities who have been dealing with hardships due to COVID-19. The association then provided eight individual producer grants to farmers, tribal organizations and nonprofits. Funding was used for personal protective equipment and sanitation materials, among other things. Several recipients of collaborative project awards were able to buy fresh produce directly from local farmers and distribute it to families and communities affected by COVID-19.

“Our farming community needs strong support during these tough times to ensure a strong, resilient food system for all of us here in New Mexico,” said Denise Miller, executive director of the association, in a news release.

Local food distribution at the Pueblo of San Ildefonso. (photos courtesy, HKHC program); Crops growing at the pueblo. © Seth Roffman

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 19 - - - Corn, squash and chile are crops among traditional grown in northern New Mexico. © Seth Roffman ESHIP Grande Río aligning entrepreneurial ecosys ESHIP Río Grande is a regional initiative tem building efforts in the food and agricultural sector with value chain work tem building efforts work in the food and agricultural chain sector with value are building upon a legacy of We local champions. pioneered by community This engagement is currentlyleaders throughout New Mexico. one of four areas in the country participating program, in the ESHIP Communities a grass- places inclusion, relationships and collaboration across which roots initiative at the core ofnetworks entrepreneurship local and the foundation of a thriving Cit- managed Forward by This initiative, Kauffman Foundation local economy. of council representing a variety a local collaborative is led by ies, organizations from across the region. be shared nationwide through the ESHIP Com in New Mexico will The work programmunities to inform ecosystem builders of tools learnings, this region’s The goal entrepreneur supportand resources. is to support or policymakers, ganizations and community leaders in building healthy, inclusive and equitable inclusive ganizations leaders in building healthy, and community cities and rural towns, entrepreneurial ecosystems that connect neighborhoods, this means In New Mexico, regions through specific local needs and strengths. food and agricultural improving entreprefocusing on the relationship between - neurial capacity and increasing food security. ------

values, we build the we values, systems and required infrastructure that honor the local ecosystems of both ecology and culturally based entrepreneur There is increas ship. among ing awareness both producers and consumers that

GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 and entrepreneurship. local ecosystems of ecology and infrastructure that honor [We need to] build systems [We uct and consist of food to consum partnerships and transactions that move such incorporate factors not typically calculated in the price, value-chains ers, soil-building and environmental eat contributes to (or if) the food we as how quality ofhealth, equity, empowerment. Creating shared life and community not only generates along the entire supply chain among stakeholders values greater profits; it also contributes to a stronger local, resilient food ecosystem and land sustaining us all. farms, communities that nourishes the businesses, The structure of influences the message of chain the food value what is of a narrative communicate As we in getting food to people. involved shared Values in the Food Supply Chain Supply Food the in Values by the There is defined is also the entrepreneurialKauffman ecosystem, which (https://www.kauffman.org of) as “a network Foundation people supporting and the culture ofentrepreneurs, trust them collaboration that allows and are agricultural Farmers and ranchers entrepreneurs to interact successfully.” ability to access on-ramps to capital, who operate in an ecosystem where the food processing, aggregation/distribution cold storage, transporta- facilities, a direct impact on the time, have chain in the value and markets tion networks resources and energy to produce food. available Where contemporary on the end-prod focus heavily industrial supply chains growing food and getting that food to people cannot solely be a transactional hands. relationship based on money exchanging Getting New Mexico-grown produce to people involves working within eco working Getting New Mexico-grown produce to people involves With my kiddo as a trusty again had yet With my we within our connected sidekick, a couple of driving by chain regional food value bags of hours to deliver sat weeded, to, talked watered, had seeded, transplanted, colorful produce we bagged harvested, bunched, admired, washed, near, with, played and boxed. The series of of and culmination chores and blessings found me exhausted to our farm heading back So on that evening, I had tears in La Madera, happy. of eyes—partly mostly from the upwelling but in my from the brilliant glare, a neighbor land that feels like for this vast love emotion stemming from my hood...and our place within it. of The ecosystem is a teacher environmental systems. natural layers, complex The degree agriculture to which cycles and sustainable relationships. aligns with the ecology to creating affects inputs and outcomes—attention paid and tasty crops. soil yields nutritious healthy I had to shield my eyes. We had timed this delivery so that the setting sun was so that the setting sun was had timed this delivery We eyes. I had to shield my the over back making this familiar drive in the clear sky, at that perfect point act. Río Grande Gorge intuitive almost an Forging the Value Chain Chain Value the Forging BY ERIN ORTIGOZA Agricultural Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship: Agricultural

VALUE CHAINS – COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE 20 local food supply that can be channeled, aggregated and distributed through a range of markets including institutional buyers interested in sourcing more food locally for the benefit of the people they serve. Washing, sorting, pack- aging and transporting local food to markets are among the duties that local growers take on and take seriously in getting food from the land to people in a safe way. There is a notable opportunity and need to increase capacity of the localized aggregation and distribution services in New Mexico to shift some of that responsibility from agricultural entrepreneurs.

“Food hubs are an important subset of food value chains. Many farmers and ranchers, especially smaller and mid-sized operations, often lack the capacity to access retail, institutional and commercial foodservice markets on their own, and consequently miss out on the fastest growing segment of the local food market. By offering a combination of aggregation, distribution and marketing services at an affordable price, food hubs make it possible for many producers to gain entry into new larger-volume markets that boost their income and provide opportunities for scaling up production.” – USDA website (https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/local-regional/food-hubs)

The implications for increased access to locally grown food are huge with regard to local institutional procurement emerging as a norm for not only schools, but also senior centers and hospitals—all serving vulnerable pop- Above: La Madera farm, New Mexico ulations. Having the ability to aggregate and distribute a supply of quality Below: Oliver among bags of produce. Photos © Erin Ortigoza local food sufficient to meet this growing demand will enable the routing of institutional dollars already spent on food into our local agricultural economy. Unprecedented Need Getting New Mexico– The impacts of COVID-19 and its rip- Data Matters ple effects felt globally have profoundly The New Mexico Farm & Food Economy report is a recent study prepared underscored the need for regionally grown produce to people by the Crossroads Resource Center (http://www.crcworks.org/nmfood20.pdf) that grounded food systems to be activat- demonstrates and provides data around the connections that bind the health involves working within ed now. The events of this year have of the soil, the economy and the people, and has prompted key state policy spotlighted long-standing inequities and recommendations from the New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group. These ecosystems. fragility in multinational supply chains, targeted next steps create the kind of food value chain that nourishes our impacted established market channels community, heals the environment and supports the economic viability of for growers and disrupted the already agriculture. tenuous methods by which people in rural and underserved areas are able to access food. In the face of these stark realities, we have also witnessed unprecedented col- Building soil health is an opportunity for farmers and ranchers to become laboration spurred by urgency and how very possible it is to restructure a food system prosperous again by gaining independence from costly agricultural inputs grounded in values that New Mexicans hold dear. (mainly petroleum products and agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides) that are harmful to soil health, the environment and farmers’ bottom The tighter the link between a community’s food and agricultural entrepreneurs and lines. The data parallels the downward trend of farm economics due to these their support systems, the more economically vibrant that community will be. And ever-growing expenses. Another finding of the report is that organic prod- with the entrepreneurs ultimately being more successful, we open doors to increased uct sales rose 365 percent, from $8.6 million in 2012 to $40 million in 2017, suggesting that New Mexico would further gain economically by building soil health while providing more wholesome food for New Mexicans. With greater numbers of New Mexicans facing hunger over the last 50 years, Ken Meter, the report’s author, summed up, “New Mexico has a $6.5 billion opportunity to grow food for its own people.”

Policy recommendations from the New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group have five major goals:

1. Advance public health and food security in response to COVID-19 and for the long-term 2. Create prosperity and jobs in agriculture, spurring local economic development 3. Honor farmers and ranchers and their adoption of healthy soil principles 4. Develop greater water retention, climate leadership and ecological well-being 5. Embrace social equity, including by engaging diverse and frontline communities in

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 21 COVID and the ripple policymaking, to The Farm Stand & achieve the vast mul- effects felt globally have pro- ticultural potential of the Land of Enchant- Market at La Esquinita foundly underscored the need ment. BY CRISTINA M. ROGERS AND KYLE MALONE for regionally grounded food The Working Group’s Some would argue that the U.S. food system has been broken for years. As a result recommendations of COVID-19, meat processing plants temporarily shut down, livestock was eu- systems to be activated now. include boosting the thanized, crops plowed back into the fields, and prices for foods like garlic—most New Mexico Depart- of which is produced in China—skyrocketed 30 percent. ment of Agriculture Healthy Soil Program; In New Mexico, where 97 percent of food consumed is imported, and which shortening supply chains from New Mexico farmer to New Mexico consum- ranks No. 1 and No. 2 for children’s and seniors’ food insecurity, the alarm bells er; establishing a public bank that will keep dollars in the state and support rang insistently. The thousands applying for unemployment insurance quickly soil-building producers; increasing marketing of locally raised products under overwhelmed the system. management for soil health; setting state guidelines around food waste salvage and composting; protecting essential food system workers; and advancing While the pandemic made our vulnerabilities glaringly obvious, our strengths and self-sufficiency and food security in New Mexico while respecting the state’s keys to a stronger future became more visible too. We found them in existing many cultures and traditions. relationships, newly created partnerships, and in pulling together and pivoting resources in ways that not only met the moment but lay the groundwork for lon- Resiliency Through Entrepreneurship ger-term resiliency. As we continue work toward localizing our food value chain in New Mexico, It became clear it is critical to pay attention to how our infrastructure is set up to support CSAs are in a unique that two priorities the flow of food through the region. Just as roads and water systems require needed to be con- strategic planning, investment, maintenance, coordinated operations and position to nurture the value nected: Get people programming to serve people, so do the networks which connect nodes of fed and keep food production, aggregation, processing, transportation and distribution. chain network by getting local farmers farm- Putting the interests of food and agricultural entrepreneurs front and center ing. Community in the regional food transportation system bolsters the resiliency of local food food to people and providing Supported Agri- production and distribution. culture programs (CSAs), are in a The relationships we build in our food value chain link people to the land, a steady income for growers. unique position to ecology and entrepreneurship, link exhaustion to happiness and chores to nurture the value blessings. Each step of the way there are people whose expertise, wisdom and chain network by getting local food to people and providing a steady income for stories are layered into the availability and quality growers, although there is a struggle to meet demand for local food through home of food. These connections forge a pathway—the deliveries alone. value chain—for harnessing the unique legacy of New Mexico agriculture and for providing healthy Thomas Swendson, CEO of New Mexico Harvest, had long been thinking food equitably throughout the community.¢ about how to scale up a CSA operation built on investing in local producers—by developing relationships, providing security for farmers and encouraging growth Erin Ortigoza is local director of ESHIP Río Grande. in a way that didn’t conflict with established markets. COVID-19 compressed his three-year plan into a three-month time frame. With few financial reserves to back [email protected]. Erin has been involved with the integral goal of improving the region’s refrigerated distribution system, he New Mexico food community planning and development in reached out to get essential players to collaborate. a variety of capacities for nearly 10 years. She has worked with the Santa Fe Food Policy Council, was a senior planner After years of planning, the with Santa Fe County and was the co-owner of Ancient La Esquinita’s indoor- Barelas Community Coalition Waters Farm in La Madera New Mexico. (BCC) had a community-envi- outdoor design will be a sioned commercial complex, slated to open in spring 2020. vibrant, yet safe retail La Esquinita was intended to become a hub for Albuquerque’s space where physical and the state’s creative economy, with food a central element and distancing can easily be accommodated.

22 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 cultural touchstone. Because of construction delays and pandemic-mandated Leaps of faith, taking on risk, and investing upfront despite an un- closures, the complex faced an uncertain future. certain economic environment are recurring themes of our pandemic response. Confidence is inspired by connecting with people and orga- BCC has two large long-running programs under its umbrella—Barelas Main- nizations whose values and missions align. Street and the Rail Yards Market (RYM), the fiscal sponsor. Alaska Piper, RYM manager, Thankfully, our regional food system is still here and growing togeth- pointed out er. Around the state, organizations have launched a vast number of Order fresh, local food and have it the need efforts, with CSAs being among the heroes of this story. Our commu- for an all- nity is building support the national food system cannot provide.¢ delivered to your home or to a conve- week outlet for food nient pickup location. harvests. La Esquin- oining a CSA is a direct investment in the future of your local food ita features system. Whether you support a single farm for a season or one that an indoor-outdoor design with “ works with multiple producers, you put your dollar toward the future three large rolling garage doors J harvests. This commitment supports the farmers in their efforts to raise that could serve as checkout food, the money to support their lives as they work to nourish ours. In celebration areas. This would prove vital in of the work and time committed by the stewards of our land, the harvest feeds creating a vibrant, yet safe envi- our community. ronment for customers in a retail space where physical distancing As people return to home cooking, a connection to community and a life that could easily be accommodated. celebrates the passing of seasons, they gain a deeper understanding of the beauty The BCC proposed immediately hidden in our enchanting desert.” re-purposing the space and en- – Thomas Swendson, New Mexico Harvest listed New Mexico MainStreet to help shape a project proposal.

Adding brick and mortar retail capabilities to the CSA’s regular Cristina M. Rogers is the executive director of the Barelas Community Coalition operations could more than fill and a creative placemaking consultant. Kyle Malone grew up on the ditches in the need for a food hub and Corrales, N.M. He is a woodworker, musician and part-time marketing manager allow each enterprise to leverage for New Mexico Harvest. its respective expertise, strengths and organizational missions. And so, La Esquinita now serves as a multi-CSA retail outlet, where La Esquinita Marketplace of Albuquerque New Mexico Harvest will begin (507 4th St. SW) operating in early September. Better Together CSA shifted to all-pickup, and is employing the site’s cold storage for its partnership with the Truman Clinic. Original food hall and artisan market tenants will begin operating in September, helping make the weekly pickup more of a fun and “normal” experience. Additional programming around preparing and storing food, kids’ activities and growing food at home has already begun.

CSAs have stepped up and provided massive help to meet the challenge. It’s never been easier to order fresh, local food and have it delivered to your home or to a convenient pickup location. The amazing growth of new CSAs and the support of existing ones has benefited farmers when they need it most. Not only do CSAs provide their communities with fresh, local food, but that money stays in the local economy. For example, New Mexico Harvest CSA has already infused over a half-million dollars in the local economy since March. New Mexico Harvest deals directly with over 45 local producers, 15 new to the network, as a blessed result of COVID-19.

N.M. Harvest weekly CSA-share delivery Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) distribution

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 23 RISING TO ACTION HIGH-TECH FOOD PROCESSING FACILITY Our Local Food System in the Age of COVID-19

COMING TO ALBUQUERQUE BY NINA YOZELL-EPSTEIN

A first-of-its-kind in New Mexico food-processing facility will This spring, when the pandemic hit, it revealed both weaknesses and strengths in our open near Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque in January. New nation’s food chain. It became obvious that any sort of fracture in centralized food Mexico Fresh Foods CEO Kelly Egolf says the facility will production, processing or distribution would quickly eliminate access to food for greatly expand access to locally made and sourced fresh foods. thousands of Americans.

Small manufacturers will be able to take advantage of the HPP As food lines formed in many cities, people turned to our smaller food chains, the (high-pressure processing) cold-pasteurization system without ones that have fewer stops from farm to table, the ones they may have previously the need for preservatives or heat, which can degrade a prod- overlooked because of the convenience of one-stop shops and year-round access to uct. The process greatly extends (from days to weeks) the shelf foods that are not in season where they live. Fortunately, here in New Mexico, our re- life of foods such as roasted green chile, salsa, juices and fresh gional food system—small family farms that have been operating for generations—is spreads like hummus—to name but a few. alive and thriving, cultivating crops that Fortunately, here in grow well in our unique, harsh, Products will undergo lab testing and be packaged with batch high desert. numbers prior to processing. “The sealed product is placed in a bath of cold water and put into a machine that pressurizes it New Mexico, our Those of us working in local food at about 87,000 pounds for two-and-a-half to three minutes,” distribution were met with a sudden, said company spokesperson Jamey Shelton. “What that does regional food system is drastic increase in interest in the service is it kills harmful bacteria, viruses and molds, but it doesn’t kill we have been providing for years, which good bacteria that’s in there.” Products can be stored in the alive and thriving. was (finally) deemed “essential.” At this facility’s cold storage rental space before shipping. time, seeds had been planted, but not much was ready for harvest. What can Producers who have only been able to sell at farmers’ markets we feed all these people? How do we inform or elsewhere locally will potentially be able to sell produce them that not everything is available yet? Will they like food that comes in different shapes, textures and healthy ready-to-eat items to a much larger market. Egolf and colors than they might be used to? How long will their interest last? What if it’s up to us now to thinks that the facility will help lower costs for fresh produce feed all New Mexicans? These were some of the questions on my mind, when demand and value-added products. She says that it will boost the local for our signature “Blossom Bags” increased ten-fold during a three-week period. economy by helping community kitchens and small food manufacturers grow and become sustainable. Squash Blossom offers local food year-round. It’s remarkable the diversity we are able to offer even in the “off season.” Faced with this sudden increase in demand, The Bernalillo County Commission unanimously approved we hustled to get more dark, leafy greens, dried beans and posolé, nuts, chile, popcorn, up to $9 million in industrial revenue bonds for New Mexico atolé, greenhouse tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and sprouts for our hundreds of new Fresh Foods expansion from Santa Fe into Albuquerque. The customers before the abundance of summer crops were ready. bonds—which are privately funded but enable certain tax breaks—are for the social enterprise company’s acquisition and We had the opportunity installation of equipment. New Mexico Fresh Foods expects The service we have been to introduce new foods to to create 138 jobs. some customers. Squash providing for years was Blossom always provides recipes and stories of how (finally) deemed “essential.” and where the food was grown.

Once spring radishes were available, I knew that peas and garlic-scapes would soon follow. Now, as I write this in August, we are happily swimming in summer squash, peppers, herbs, greens, tomatoes, melons, garlic, eggplant, you name it! And with the smell of roasting green chile in the air, many of us think that this is the best time of year in New Mexico. We had a late frost, which wiped out most of the fruit trees up north. That was a tough blow for many farmers and for customers who wait patiently all year for our brief, juicy, cherry and peach season. Rolling with these punches as an eater is the essence of eating seasonally. I’ve found that once you embrace this uncertainty, it makes the years that we get bumper crops of fruit all the more satisfying.

The minute the pandemic hit, my colleagues and I researched best practices for keep- ing our customers, employees and farmers safe. We launched home delivery of our “Blossom Bags” to provide access to healthy foods for members of our community who could no longer leave their houses. We know that many of our customers are “high-risk.” They make their food choices carefully and depend on us to keep them safely nourished. Our efficient system was already very low-contact, with only our

24 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 ENTREPRENEURS 25 - - ¢ - GREENFIRETIMES.COM quash Blossom Local Food, Inc. Inc. Squash Blossom Local Food, is a social enterprise that provides - distribution and bookkeep sales, marketing, ing for farmers of northern New Mexico so Thethey can focus on their on-farm duties. harvestedcompany supplies fresh produce, within hours of to restaurants in delivery, food sub a local and provides Santa Fe, scription service of its “Blossom Bags” to Nina Yozell-Epstein residents and visitors. to protect sees Squash Blossom as a way the Earth, preserve culture and diversity, and imbue strengthen the local economy, health for all eaters. www.squashblossomlocalfood.com S Nina Yozell-Epstein is the founder/director of is the founder/director Nina Yozell-Epstein Squash in food and Inc. She has worked Blossom Local Food, farming around small-scale the world. Her vision is to make agriculture for coming generations. viable photo and writer photo © Gabriella Marks Team Blossom Bag photo: © Byron Fleber small staffsmall the farm between the customers. and trained well already service, in food Being were we and additional added masks We practices. in hygiene steps of and all surfaces reusable bags, disinfecting require increased food safety We all equipment. ments for the farms that we work with as well, and with as well, the farmsments for work we that them the informationgave need to and tools they continue safety will forward, move we As safe. stay to be our top priority. and important see how is, our local food system We to go to produce enough food have we the long way are grateful for the We to feed all New Mexicans. - with other organizationsstrong collaborations work and feel a fortitudeing on this in our state and deter mination that comes with being called to duty. mination that comes Above: A Squash Blossom “blossom bag”; Squash Blossom team (Liz, Nina, Arella)Above: A Squash Blossom “blossom Commercial Aquaponics Coming to Santa Fe

BY ANDREW NEIGHBOR

Fifty years ago, I graduated from college with a degree in zoology. Since then, I have been a research scientist, immunologist and microbiologist, teacher, medical device developer, commercial photographer, web developer and videographer. Those last three were all during my retirement, and it was while helping to make a film about sustainability programs at the Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), that I found my current calling.

While filming interviews at the college’s Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) program, I tasted the best strawberry I have ever had. It was grown aqua- ponically. I was hooked. R. Charlie Shultz, head of the program, described how insecure our food supply is, here in New Mexico:

● State agriculture (including cattle and dairy) uses approximately 85 percent of the water consumed in this state. ● We export most of the produce grown to other states. ● We import almost 95 percent of our leafy greens, vegetables and fruit from California, Texas, the Midwest and from countries as far afield as Ecuador and Guatemala.

Add a global pandemic, Of the various techniques, drought, border disputes and tariffs to this mix, and our food supply is critically aquaponics is the most vulnerable. This is where SFCC’s CEA comes to Controlled Environment Agriculture: Plants growing natural and sustainable. our rescue. Greenhouse at Santa Fe Community College’s aquaponics facility © Seth Roffman farming can raise plants year-round within an environment sheltered from harsh winters and increasingly hot summers. Emerging technologies in aquaponics and hydroponics allow farming with less water.

Eating that luscious strawberry, I began to see that I could contribute to bolster- ing our food supply. Soil less crop production would draw upon my knowledge, my scientific education and my passion for problem solving. I took basic and advanced soilless farming classes from Charlie and his experienced colleagues. Based on what I learned, I decided to focus my energy on aquaponics because, of the various techniques, it is the most natural and sustainable.

Aquaponics was used by ancient civilizations to grow food. Fish were raised in ponds and crops floated on rafts, their roots nourished by nutrients created by the microbial conversion of fish waste to plant fertilizer. In modern aquaponics farming, a completely closed-loop ecosystem is utilized. Fish such as tilapia, koi, trout, or goldfish are fed organic fish food. They exhale ammonia into the water, and release their solid and liquid waste. The water is continually filtered, and naturally occurring bacteria break down the ammonia. This nutrient-rich water sustains the plants, which are grown on rafts or tubes, with their roots in continuous contact with the water. The water that has been purged of nitrates by the plants then nurtures the fish.

Aquaponics represents a perfect ecosystem in which fish, microbes and plants live together in balance, continuously.

● No chemical fertilizers are added. ● Chemical pesticides are not used, as they would be harmful to the fish. ● Pests such as aphids can be treated with safe, organic natural oils should they become a problem—or ladybugs can be introduced to prey on the pests.

26 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 ● Because all water is constantly cycled through the system, this form of farming uses only 5 percent of the water consumed by soil farms. ● Plants grow faster in water because their roots don’t have to struggle in search of moisture, nor use energy to penetrate hard ground. ● Protein-rich fish—parasite-free and raised only with organic fish food—can be ORGANIC GROUPS SUE consumed as well. ● Local growing and distribution results in fresher food and longer shelf life for produce. USDA OVER HYDROPONIC All of this convinced me I should become a farmer and demonstrate the feasibility of local food CERTIFICATION production with aquaponics. I had capital to invest and a new dream to nurture! Eagerly, I set about making detailed plans. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the expert body assigned by Congress to advise We live on a 12-acre parcel near the Turquoise Trail. I the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has repeated- This form of farming wanted to build a greenhouse next to our home, with ly called on the USDA to prohibit organic certifi- dreams of waking early, rolling out of bed to visit and cation of hydroponics, but the USDA has ignored uses only 5 percent of feed the fish. As I ran the numbers, the size of the NOSB’s recommendation. In March, the Center greenhouse gradually increased as I figured out how for Food Safety (CFS), along with a coalition the water consumed by to cover my investment through produce sales. Esti- of longstanding organic farms and stakehold- mates led me to design a structure approximately 4,000 er organizations, filed a lawsuit challenging the square-feet that could produce 500 to 600 lettuce heads USDA decision to allow hydroponic operations soil farms. each week, together with many pounds of tomatoes, to be certified organic and asked the court to stop cucumbers and peppers sufficient to cover the upfront hydroponically produced crops from being sold investment in two to three years. under the USDA Organic label.

I roughed out the design and went to the County Land Use Office to get a construction permit. A Hydroponic operations use water-based nutrient staff member gave me a brief checklist of things I needed for building an “accessory structure.” I solutions without any soil. CFS’s lawsuit cites the doggedly pursued my dream over the next 12 months. Then the hammer fell. A restrictive covenant federal Organic Foods Production Act, which attached to all the tracts that make up our neighborhood—prohibited any commercial use! requires farms to build soil fertility in order to be certified organic. “Healthy soil is the founda- I began to realize that a sustainable approach would be to convert an existing warehouse into an tion of organic farming,” said Andrew Kimbrell, urban indoor farm. Clearly, growing indoors in a closed building with artificial lights, I could protect executive director of the Center for Food Safety, the fish and the plants from daily and seasonal fluctuations in temperature, and an insulated building “USDA’s loophole for corporate hydroponics guts would use less energy in the process. And by incorporating vertical growing systems, I could increase the very essence of ‘Organic.’” the volume of food production over the more traditional two-dimensional growing beds of a greenhouse. I decided to explore commercial leasing opportunities and recently found the perfect place. “Healthy soil is critical to producing nutrient-dense foods that benefit both people and the Meanwhile, COVID-19 has thrown a spotlight on our collective need to secure the food chain. I environment,” said Paul Muller, one of the owners began growing microgreens in March, and now I’m experimenting with a vertical tower for growing of Full Belly Farm in Guinda, Calif. “Healthy soil plants. Hopefully by this time next year, Santa Fe will have its first indoor commercial aquaponics increases and improves the availability of soil nu- farm, and we will be producing local, nutritious and tasty fresh produce for our community, while trients and beneficial microorganisms and enhanc- providing workforce-training for the next generation of farmers.¢ es the land’s ability to sequester carbon and retain nutrients and water.” Scientists and government agencies agree that building soil health is a critical Andrew Neighbor of Desert Verde Farm, LLC, may be contacted at: [email protected] piece of climate resiliency. Healthy soils can serve as carbon sinks to store and reduce atmospheric carbon. They can also retain more water, reducing runoff and erosion.

“The organic label has taken more than 30 years to develop and establish in the minds of consumers,” said Jim Cochran, owner of plaintiff Swan- ton Berry Farm, one of the oldest certified-organic strawberry farms in California. “Certifying hydroponically grown crops as organic devalues that label.”

Some food stores and cooperatives have created a symbol to attach to hydroponically grown items to allow shoppers to make purchasing decisions based on their preferences.

SFCC’s aquaponics program is part of the School of Trades, Advanced Technology and Sustainability. Aquaponics includes the science of aquaculture (raising fish).

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 27 It’s Not Easy Being a Big Egg Farmer

BY MARK WINNE First off, I’m not sure if Randy Cruz’s Cruz Ranch in Sapello, New Mexico, is the region’s biggest egg producer. Clawing my way through USDA’s 2017 Agriculture Statistics seems to suggest that out of the state’s 2,848 farms that reported raising poultry, Cruz Ranch was easily in the top 10. What I do know is that turning 70 hilly acres 20 minutes north of Las Vegas into a commercial egg-laying operation was an uphill climb requiring love, intelligence and money. I also learned that staying in business takes blood, guts and more money.

Take the night in early October last year when there were about 2,700 laying hens and an assortment of ducks, turkeys, geese and peacocks tucked safely into their coops when Randy went to bed. When he woke the next morning, the number of birds had plummeted to 1,500. The scene that greeted him was one of carnage, as with some borrowed nearly 1,200 birds lay dead and dismembered about the coops and yard. He didn’t parental bucks and a need to gather any forensic evidence to determine that this was not the work of used rototiller. Ran- coyotes. The nonsensical killing had been committed by his neighbor’s four German dy and Dan had been shepherds that had tunneled under the yard’s fence. sufficiently successful in business in California to The Cruz Ranch story started five years ago when Randy and his husband, Dan, buy the Sapello prop- decided to return from their home in Palm Springs, California, to start a farm in erty, a former religious northern New Mexico. Randy had been raised on a 6,000-acre ranch in nearby retreat center, without Gascan as part of his family’s third generation in the same house. There he devel- going into debt. They oped a love/hate relationship with the region that is known for its stunning beauty also drew on their own and agrarian lifestyle but offers little opportunity. “My mother divorced my father, resources for working who was the town drunk,” Randy said. “We then moved to Oregon, which was the capital. “It takes five to best thing that ever happened to us. If I had stayed, I would’ve become a drunk or seven months of feed, a loser.” water, heat lamps and hard, caring work before Randy, 60, uses disarming candor to explain why he chose to take up farming, a chicken lays a single which was not a part of his upbringing. “I needed something to do that used up my egg,” Randy told me, energy and was fun,” he said. Since he’s constantly in motion, it’s obvious why he noting that $13,000 in chose something as physical as farming. But making the leap from a comfortable feed alone is required to California lifestyle to farming life in New Mexico’s mountains, even when you have fill his three grain bins. roots there, is a big one. Initially unfamiliar with commercial poultry methods, Ran- Sapello, N.M. farmer Randy Cruz Even when the first dy learned everything possible about eggs, chickens and birds that quack and gobble © Barbara Mahon eggs finally appear, they from books he’d read late into the night. Starting out with 100 chickens, he quickly are generally too small lost 45 to neighbors’ for commercial sale, so Randy donates them to the Bienvenidos Outreach dogs and coyotes. He Food Pantry. Still recovering from the great ordered 300 more, reinforced his fences A sufficient supply of start-up capital, however, doesn’t insulate you from the poultry massacre, he won’t be and added a couple misfortunes of farming. When I learned of Randy’s chicken slaughter, I asked of border collies to if he was going to have the dogs put down and seek restitution from their able to fulfill the demand until perform security and owners. He said no: “I have to live with these neighbors, and full restitution herding duties. for my losses would break them.” But he soon discovered that his charitable the replacement birds are fully impulses had limits. Three weeks later, the same German shepherds returned, With hundreds of and this time Randy caught them in the act. After they killed 34 turkeys, 6 pea- producing. chickens each laying cocks and 125 pullets, Randy shot three of the marauding dogs. His patience an egg a day, ducks a exhausted, he filed a lawsuit against their owner. little less, and turkeys one every two days, Randy soon had the supply he needed to meet the demand “It was a real awful thing,” he told me over the phone. “The dogs were looking generated by a growing list of loyal customers. Restaurants in and around Santa Fe, back at me when I had cornered them in the barn as if to say, ‘It’s not our Cid’s Food Market in Taos, the Dixon Food Co-op, and three farmers’ markets— fault, we’re just dogs; it’s our owner’s fault.’ I hated to do it.” His pain was pal- Eldorado, Las Vegas and Angel Fire—comprised the largest portion of his custom- pable, and his reluctance to escalate the conflict with his neighbor was evident. er base. While his eggs weren’t certified USDA organic, most of his chicken feed But he felt there was no other way if he wanted to stay in business. was, and his birds were running free and easy under the New Mexico sun in a generously sized yard planted in cover crops. Things were hectic, Randy was hustling and Covid-19 happy, especially after a farmers’ market when he brought home a bundle of cash. In a twist of Old Testament fury, the coronavirus swept into New Mexico, There’s another part of Randy’s startup story that also requires mention. He wasn’t upending the state’s food system applecart. While one might expect that this a young hippie who lived out of the back of a van trying to make a go of farming unforeseen event likened Randy to Job—chickens smote by dogs, a plague

28 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 devouring all in its path— When the coronavirus something different occurred. Suddenly, demand for locally swept into New Mexico, grown food went through the roof. “Egg sales are out of upending the state’s food control,” he told me in late March. People were suddenly making hour-and-a-half drives system applecart, sud- to his farm from Santa Fe to buy a case of eggs (135). Ran- denly, demand for locally dy said, “It’s nice that people are coming to my farm; they’ve grown food went through never done that before.” the roof. Even though his three regular farmers’ markets keep him busy, Randy’s received requests from the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market to sell there. He’s lost restaurant sales due to the virus, but he can sell everything he produces now to Cid’s. But this is an instance when one injustice closes a door at the same time another one opens. Randy’s egg supply is well down because he’s still recovering from the great poultry massacre. “Cid’s wants to buy 16 to 18 cases a week, but I can only produce enough now to sell them six.” He won’t be able to fulfill the demand until the replacement birds are fully producing.

Randy Cruz THE LAMY HOMESTEAD is a resilient and com- AN URBAN FARM PROJECT mercially viable farm- ARTICLES AND PHOTOS BY VANESSA COLÓN er. But the threats are Now more than ever it is time to recognize the importance of food resilience always lurk- within our local communities. I live in Lamy, New Mexico, a very small town ing, some- south of Santa Fe. Lamy meets the distance-and-poverty-rate food-desert criteria times from set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. as close as next door, I realized that I wanted to see positive change and offer a vital service to my and other community, and that the only person stopping me was myself. Thus, Whirlwind times from Enterprises, Inc., dba The Lamy Homestead, was born. By starting an urban across the farm, I intend to create some economic stability for the town’s residents. I not globe. Your only want to provide fresh produce but also jobs that people are excited to have. chances of survival are All too often, enhanced The concept of “farm-to-table” individuals feel if you can as if they are draw on a is real and requires farmers of inconsequential reservoir of and perhaps don’t working cap- all sorts. know where to ital to weath- start or how they er farming’s can contribute to uncertainties. their community. The concept of “farm-to-table” is real and requires farmers of Therein lies all sorts. A food value-chain involves collaboration among many stakeholders. a lesson for It’s not just about cultivation of crops; it includes passing down information today’s local food disciples: Either we as a community underwrite the risk that all between generations. It’s about communication and bonding with our neighbors. farmers face—in other words, we become their insurance policy—or we rely on It’s about security on many levels. That is what this chain means to me. I see each well-financed forms of corporate agriculture. Summing up the challenges, Randy person as a wheel waiting to be set in motion. It takes a community of willing said, “If I was poor, I would’ve been shattered long ago. You need deep pockets participants to set in motion the changes they want to see. to be independent and operate, even at this modest scale.”¢ Social challenges such as job loss and food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic can, to some extent, be alleviated by going back to basics, Mark Winne is a Santa Fe-based writer and food system consultant. He serves as a senior going to where it started prior to industrialization. Farming provides jobs. It adviser to the Johns Hopkins University Center for a Livable Future. His most recent book is provides food. It provides social cohesion. It transcends race, ethnicity, gender Food Town, USA: Seven Unlikely Cities That Are Changing the Way We Eat. and religion. It brings people together to remind us of our human frailty. With- out each other, without community and basic needs like food, water and human Above: Chickens at Cruz Ranch interaction, we are isolated and left to survive mentally, physically and emotional- © Barbara Mahon ly by ourselves.

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 29 MUDHUB GREENHOUSES

Along with conducting a Santa Fe-based business, I am also an avid gardener. I would not be doing Mud Hub Greenhouses if I weren't.

Going into spring planting, I had three goals for my garden: to start 90 percent Sharing my venture with my neighbors has generated interest, of what I wanted to grow from seed, focus on companion planting, and utilize all not only in my business, but in others starting their own busi- the space I could through trellising and crowd planting “cooler” crops under tall nesses as well. I encourage anyone who may be thinking about ones. I thought these strategies would lead to more success, but this is crazy. The starting an urban farm to do it! Contact your local County vegetation has exploded to the point where I have to remember what I planted Extension Agent. They will be more than happy to help you on where because I can't find the name tags. your way. And if anyone is interested in helping us develop our urban garden project in Lamy, please contact me.¢ Despite not having much rain to speak of this summer in New Mexico, the crops that seem to be doing well are tomatoes, lettuces, kale, chard, radishes, peas, Vanessa Colón, owner/operator of beans, peppers, basil, parsley, leeks and garlic. For some reason, the cucumbers Whirlwind Enterprises, Inc., is passionate are lagging behind, with lots of blossoms but hardly any cukes. Hardly any luck about sustainable agriculture and food secu- with broccoli and Brussels sprouts. The tomatoes are coming in with manageable rity. After getting her M.A. in Sustainable pickings, depending on the variety, and the purple pole beans have been a plea- Development and Environmental Policy, sure, with harvests every three or four days. We'll probably freeze the rest, along she completed certification in Ohio State with the pesto from basil. University’s Master Urban Gardener’s program. [email protected]. Rod Gesten, 505-670-6370, mudhubgreenhouses.com

30 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 Even in the current epic drought, stone fruit and apples are plentiful. For a free Beat the Summer Heat tour, call 505-901-1078 or email [email protected] ¢ with a Food Forest Photos: A six-year-old Cortland apple tree with a full understory during the 2018 drought; BY MIKE MUSIALOWSKI Insects love lovage, an edible green mulch in the carrot family; plums and Hawthrone applets; PHOTOS BY JIM O’DONNELL Cypress Musialowski enjoys ripe fruit; Mike Musialowski with onions.

The big difference between a food forest and a typical orchard is that fruiting trees in a food forest have a thick cover of perennial edibles and support species that are never tilled. When a diverse mixture of understory nitrogen-fixer plants, “mineral miners,” insectaries, aromatic pest confusers and green mulch grow in a “guild” under a semi-dwarf fruit or nut tree, they generate self-fertility and superior moisture retention. When you cover the planting soil with mulch and wood chips, and inoculate with fungus, the soil food-web blooms with microbes, microscopic arthropods, worms, pill bugs, beetles, centipedes, slugs and even garter snakes.

That’s what we’ve experienced over eight years of growing fruit in Taos with intermittent flood irrigation. These photos show drought-tolerant stars like walking onions, chives, comfrey, lovage, daylilies, lemon balm, western sand cherry, currants, yarrow, sunchokes, hairy vetch, alfalfa and sainfoin. Using thin boards as pathways, we avoid walking on the softer soils in the perennial beds. Every fall and winter the thick understory rots and the soil critters churn it up into fertile soil. We’ve experimented with more than 50 species of perennials and settled on a collection that can hold their own with weeds and provide edible yields long before apricots, plums, peaches and apples are ripe.

Someday we’ll have a prunable canopy cover of honey locust, and then the lower layers of fruiting trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, ground covers, tubers and vines will round out all seven layers of a food forest. The fruit tastes amazing.

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 31 REFLECTIONS AND VISIONS AND REFLECTIONS have fed me, and another of misguided hierarchy, which assumes that prog- Ripples and Ribbons ress and wealth are to be earned through competitive self-determination. I came to recognize that many of us exist as a result of conflict between Growing and supporting a regional pollinator preserve systems. But where this creates friction, there are also points of balance and support that allow us and other organisms to exist. and food system Each community, tribe and family are units within units of a broader BY MELANIE MARGARITA KIRBY societal system. Each patch of air, fire, water and land interact as units of a broader elemental system. And each vitamin, mineral, plant and animal develop relationships as members of evolving biodiverse systems. Between “All dreams spin out from the same web.” –Hopi these systems there are actions and reactions—chemical, physical and emotional—that nurture or destroy. Our perception and interactions determine whether we and our living systems survive or thrive.

I have often This pandemic is forcing us wondered, are we each the same to come to terms with our but just manifest differently due to own and our neighbors’ past our environment? How can we as transgressions. individuals and as members of a society reconcile the oppressive and defensive interactions humanity continues to battle? What is our role, and why are we alive? How do our actions impress or depress others? I have also pondered if it isn’t as simple as bearing witness to the mystery and majesty of life and longevity: the interconnectedness of the land beneath our feet, the sky above our heads, the breeze that blows around us, and the water that quenches our thirst.

It took a small, fuzzy and buzzy winged angel to entice and introduce me to the concept of longevity and its implications. When an organism can live long and full, its genes and cellular memory transcribe and code that potential into its existence. It is a heritable trait, and can be passed on from one generation to the next, creating systems of behavior to enable its survival while being dependent upon evolving systems of interaction. Like webs within webs, spiraling in and out, these systems create ripples and ribbons of fluid lattice that exist in relation to each other, all striving for the potential for perpetuity.

When I first began stewarding bees, my field of vision was drawn to the mysterious behaviors that allow them to make honey. I recognized their dependence on the flora and habitat that provides nutrition. But I took it for granted that their reliance on landscapes was static. Yes, they will always need forage, but who will conserve what Mother Nature and Father Time have sculpted over millennia, and who will preserve existing wild lands and nurture new pastures? Who will reconcile conflicts and encourage points of balance and structural integrity to promote longevity? Beehives in Las Mellizas – Malaga, Spain; Honey bees on a prairie sunflower; There are over 20,000 known species of bees, 4,000 of which live in North Andrenidae native bees on pink poppy flower in Taos. © Melanie Kirby America. Within our own tierra encantada, there are close to 1,000 recorded species. I have communicated with land stewards, scientists and organizations to generate awareness and support for bees. I have spent 24 years Growing up in enduring the ups and downs of beekeeping in diverse and adverse land- southern New Mex- A declared pollinator scapes. What I’ve come to recognize is that these beneficial insects (and we ico in a Mestizo and humans), along with their surroundings, are like strands on a web that can Genizaro community, preserve would better endure some shock waves, but that could, if stretched to its limits, snap and I recall being pulled lose integral strength…causing the tension of support to disintegrate the in multiple direc- support wild and relationships constructing the lattice or matrix of our living world. tions—one direction, like an internal com- Learning from bees and landscapes among the northern Pueblos, I’ve cultivated food production. pass that bestows become acquainted with the fragility and fierceness that the Río Grande reverence on these and southern Rockies pose for everyone. This duality matches my own enchanted lands that worlds—the one I move through and the one in my mind. It exerts a cer-

32 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 tain unification—a desire to be Who will reconcile con- one with my surroundings in flicts and encourage my undertakings. Prior to the pandemic I was points of balance and conducting research on bees’ mating behavior and collecting stories of climate and market structural integrity to adaptation from beekeepers, while also immersing myself in promote longevity? the repercussions of Spanish history. While living in Spain, I visited farmers, beekeepers, researchers and students and witnessed a unique moment in history, when the farmers took to their tractors and blocked all roads into the capital of Madrid. They were demanding to be recognized for their efforts to feed their paisanos (countrymen). They were demanding a living wage and fair pricing. While in Spain, I also witnessed beekeepers who took to the streets to call attention to how pesticides and loss of habitat are impacting pollination. These land stewards go to great lengths to share their olives, wine, cheese, ham, honey, almonds, fruit, veggies and wares with their neighboring countries. Spain is considered the fruit basket of Europe, and the Spaniards share their cornucopia with regions of northern and eastern Europe that have shorter growing seasons. In doing so, they must pass rigorous ecological standards and commitments. I witnessed the evolving relationships among farmers, beekeepers, technicians, distributors and agencies as they struggled to regenerate their regional food systems. Their struggles are very similar to ours in the United States and in the intermountain Southwest. Spain is a melting pot of Arabic, North African, Visigoth, and Roman de- scents. They have been colonized and have become colonizers. They have transformed their warring histories into a tapestry much like ours in New Mexico, a mosaic of traditions that exude fervor, flavor and artistry. Wherev- er there are humans, there is a need for food production and security. Wher- Ceramic tile made in Spain depicting beekeeping scenes and honey harvest; ever there are other living organisms, there is a need for maintaining condi- News photo of tractors blocking road to Madrid, Spain tions conducive to life and longevity. It is a quest that takes years to develop but one that can endure if nurtured. It is a respect between units, elements, communities and systems. RESILIENCE IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY This pandemic is forcing us to come to terms with our own and our neighbors’ past transgressions. It is requiring us to acknowledge values of necessity and luxury and to find a balance between them. It is demanding that we reflect on what is important to us for survival and encouraging us to extend empathy. Growing, maintaining and regenerating regional food systems ultimately depends on this. It depends on us as individuals and as communities to signify our place, declare purpose…and coax piety—piety of the elements, % of our communities, of our planet and the universe. To be pious means to be devout and reverential. It means to believe in a system of units that can sustain each other. This year marks the 15-year anniversary of my Zia Queenbees Farm. We are amazed and grateful at the continued support from diverse communities, and we have visions of a declared pollinator preserve for our region to better support wild and cultivated food production, from mesas to valleys to canyons to mountains and everything in between. If we can all plant more flowers, preserve our waters, protect our living landscapes and biodiversity, and be mindful of what we bring into our region (plants, insects and other organisms), we will reinforce the matrix of our webs. This will help our REGENERATE pollinators, and help manifest our children’s and our ancestors’ dreams for A virtual conference focusing on perpetuation of life and longevity. It takes a community to raise bees.¢ regenerative agriculture Melanie Margarita Kirby, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-discipli- November 2020 narian, is a 2019-2020 Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow. She is joining the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) REGENERATECONFERENCE.COM Land-Grant department to develop and deliver agricultural education- Holistic Management International | Quivira Coalition | American Grassfed Association al outreach programs. You can follow her on Instagram @ziaqueenbees. GREENFIRETIMES.COM 33 Emigdio Ballón: “Buy Local and Pay Farmers a Living Wage.”

BY LISA B. FRIEDLAND

In an acute moment as we’ve never seen in our lifetimes, our relationship to the simplest and most uncompromisable aspect of life has been shaken. How we receive food, underlying structural issues and our options have come to the fore. COVID-19 is impacting us no matter our background, class or belief system.

Why not hire trees? … to beat the summer heat.

FOOD FOREST TOURS in TAOS It is a time of truth-seeking and truth-revealing. One essential issue we must Maximum 4 per group - RSVP to reserve attend to, according to Emigdio Ballón, longtime agricultural researcher and • email Mike Musialowski at director of Tesuque Pueblo Farm, is food security. COVID-19 has exposed the permieguild @ taosharvest.org shortcomings of the country’s industrial food system. Ballón emphasizes that we • or… call/text (505) 901-1078 don’t know when our capacity to receive food from other regions and countries may diminish further or cease. Buying local products and paying farmers a living wage are two critical components to strengthen our regional food chains, he says. As our relationship to food becomes more localized, we become more empow- • In Talpa / Ranchos de ered. “Local,” Ballón says, “is key to our health and safety.” Taos • Please bring a MASK Ballón is also concerned about agricultural pesticides that “create pollution in and be prepared to the environment and in ourselves.” He believes that the pandemic is related to climate change, deforestation, the loss of biodiversity and lack of respect for honor SAFETY and Indigenous cultures, saying, “Please institute policies to support traditional ways SOCIAL DISTANCING of food production and get seeds into the hands of Indigenous people.” He also encourages people to consider including practices in their daily routine that FREE introduction to “Permaculture” connect them more deeply to the Earth.¢ • Water retention with shade and mulch • Edible understory perennials If you are interested in volunteering at the Tesuque Farm, • Ecological functions in a garden contact Ballón, at 505-699-6408. Current projects include • Self-fertility & high diversity gardens for elders, children and other tribal members, seed pro- FREE consultations on your land near Taos duction and a seed bank. The farm, which grows food-crops, fruit, herbs and flowers, uses water harvesting and solar energy. TAOS HARVEST Dedicated to the idea that Taos Above: Crops growing at Tesuque Pueblo farm, can harvest its own food, energy, August 2020. and domestic needs

34 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 TENDING THE GARDEN

BY JACK LOEFFLER

Many of us in New Mexico have selected to follow the intelligent direc- indoors. The out-of-doors is tive issued by our excellent governor to remain as isolated as possible The pandemic is a reprieve available to almost every one of during the reality of a pandemic that has spread through our popula- us, and it is outside, breathing tion. Indeed, there is the distinct probability that our culture will never to reconsider a more appro- in and breathing out within the return to the state of “normalcy” that prevailed before the advent of flow of Nature, that reality lies. COVID-19. From my perspective, new opportunities reveal themselves. priate level of human com- Finding even the tiniest piece of Our personal and collective points of view have been put on hold and landscape provides us a view into we find ourselves having to rely on ourselves on many fronts. portment within the flow of Nature’s way, be it an anthill roil- ing with ants whose purpose is When I was a boy during World War II, many families across America their own, a tree sprouting from planted and tended Victory Gardens and thus began to provide them- Nature. an unpaved patch of soil provid- selves with food. Even folks with no backyards created tiny, boxed ing habitat to families of birds gardens on their windowsills to grow herbs, tomatoes and small plants and insects and maybe a squirrel that could be harvested. Others turned to the out-of-doors and planted or two, to a spread of untended wild-land where many species of plants and animals large gardens. This contributed enormously to family larders and to the co-exist in some level of mutual reciprocity. notion of sharing homegrown food with relatives, friends and neighbors. It also contributed to restoring a sense of mutual cooperation and There is a growing school of thought that life and cognition are two aspects of the same a handcrafted lifestyle as we faced and fought an enemy that threatened phenomenon, even at the cellular level. In a word, every living cell possesses some level everything democracy stood for. of cognition, a phenomenon that extends back in time for at least 3.8 billion years since the birth of our last universal common ancestor, LUCA for short. As living cells evolve, Ultimately, allied forces defeated an enemy that was externalized, that so does cognition. At some level, consciousness occurs within more complex species. threatened us, and the rest of the free world, from without. At the end Every species is comprised of different types of billions of living cells, each with its of World War II, our collective spirit ran high and we celebrated a brief own level of cognition. Indeed, where life exists, so does cognition. For us, the path to golden age. sensing this is through intuition. If we spend enough time outside in proximity to other life forms, we begin to sense both life and some level of cognitive energy. We acknowl- In the intervening 75 years, wave after edge that the anthill, the tree, the patch of wild-land—each is a living system of interre- Tending a gar- wave of competing systems of cul- lated life and inorganic matter that is all part of a larger system that spreads around the tural mores and attitudes have washed planet— the geo-biotic community. On reflection, we recognize ourselves as part of an den is an act of over the human species worldwide. integrated living population of millions of diverse species, and that life itself is a fragile And now we find ourselves beached on the thin strip of reciprocity. time that separates us from our own extinction. To date, far too few of us even acknowledge our peril; too many of our institutions have locked us into the errone- ous presumption that we humans are Nature’s reason to be. Our political regimes have devised legislation that is in direct violation of the laws of Nature. Thus, our populations metastasize, threat- ening the very planetary biotic community that has nurtured and sustained us through two- to three-hundred thousand years of human species-hood. That is the equivalent of 10,000 to 15,000 generations of human beings who have trod the land and floated the seas. We are a species that has been bestowed with life’s most precious gift— consciousness. Certainly, we can use this consciousness to enhance our planet Earth rather than imperil life itself.

I have come to perceive the coronavirus pandemic as a reprieve bestowed by Nature to provide time and inclination to reconsider our interpretation of Nature’s purpose, and a more appropriate level of human comportment within the flow of Nature. It seems that we are harboring our greatest enemy within ourselves and it is revealed through our systems of attitudes. During this pandemic lull, during which many, if not most of us, live in far more isolated conditions than previously, we are challenged by how to spend our time well. Although we are isolated from each other, and many of us from our workplaces, we are not restricted to remaining Río Grande del Norte © Jaime Chávez

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 35 miracle spawned on this whose communities line the Río Grande have grown much of their own food that We now find ourselves tiny, rocky planet adrift has helped sustain them through times of both peace and adversity. The Hispano in space, encircling a villages that lie throughout the northern Río Grande watershed and beyond have beached on the thin strip of warming sun in a state relied largely on their gardens for sustenance for 20 generations. The countercul- of natural balance. Just tural communards learned from both Puebloan Indians and neighboring Hispanos time that separates us from reflect on that... about gardening, and many continue to this day. Not only do the gardens provide food, they provide some means of barter between fellow humans, even if we Here in the rural have to wear masks when we visit farmers’ markets and socially distance ourselves our own extinction. Southwest, many within responsibly. our human population are closer to our cultural roots than others of us who may be more urbanized. Eating locally grown food helps re-molecularize ourselves to homeland—it Many have learned the value of gardening, a practice that has helped sustain enhances our awareness of where we live. In this way we decentralize our con- us for millennia. There are far too many humans for us to return to our hunt- sciousness out of the nationalistic political milieu in which we find ourselves, er-gatherer cultural practices that all but petered out with the end of the Pleisto- and revitalize our relationship to homeland, home watershed. We become more cene epoch, the last ice age that shifted into the warming trends of the Holo- self-governing, we begin to restore our handcrafted lifestyles. cene, some 12,000 years ago. It was then that we began to practice agriculture, which led to the explosion of our species into such prominence today. That we Something else happens as we plant seeds in soil that we’ve prepared as best we exploded a bit too vigorously there can be little questioned, as we approach a can. We invigorate new life, and with life, cognition. As time passes, plants mature human population of eight billion, compared to the estimated five- to 10-mil- and can be harvested and thereafter consumed. Indeed, life thrives on life. Such is lion of us who inhabited the planet at the end of the Pleistocene roughly 600 the nature of reality on this plane of existence. human generations ago. I think of time as the flow of Nature through the universe. Here on our planet So here we are, caught up short by Earth, an aspect of Nature is life and cognition. I perceive gardens of produce Eating locally grown a pandemic that provides some- providing sustenance to ever-changing gardens of consciousness that are our thing of a cultural respite during human communities. As our human communities reciprocate with Nature, we food enhances our which we can ruminate on new restore balance. Tending a garden is indeed an act of reciprocity. trails through the dilemma(s) of awareness of where our own invention. Why not plant So here I am, an anciano verging on the halfway point through my ninth decade a garden, small or large? It helped rooted in the watershed called the Cañada de los Alamos. I look northeastward us through the terrors of World to the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains; northwestward to the Jémez we live. War II, and could provide good, Mountains beyond the Río Grande; westward to Mount Taylor, the great volcano fresh food in a time of economic that marks the southern boundary of Dinetah, Navajo Country; southwestward instability. The Pueblo Indians to the Manzano Mountains that line part of the eastern aspect of the middle Río Grande rift (our planet's second-largest rift); southward to the Galisteo Basin, the most northeasterly basin in the Basin and Range Province; eastward toward the Great Plains. I reside in the center of an enormous garden of life and consciousness that I love beyond measure.

Over nearly six decades, I have wandered throughout the American West and México carrying recorder, microphones, cables, headphones and canteen in my kit, visiting and recording fellow humans and the voices of other species within myr- iad habitats. Thus I have gathered hundreds, thousands of seeds of wisdom that I have replanted in my radio series and writings, which I have sown in as many communities as possible, as many gardens of consciousness as I may reach. This has been my modest endeavor, yet re-seeding gardens of consciousness has given purpose to my own life and consciousness.

I’ll close this essay by reiterating perhaps the most profound seed of consciousness I’ve ever gathered. It was spoken to me by my old friend and teacher, Camil- lus Lopez, who is a Tohono O’odham lore-master: “If you look into the mirror of Nature and cannot see yourself in it, then you're too far away.” ¢

Jack Loeffler is an aural historian, radio producer and author. He has written many books concern- ing cultural and environmental issues, including Headed into the Wind: A Memoir, named one of the 2019 Southwest Books of the Year.

36 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 COLORADO RIVER FACING A DRIER FUTURE LETTER TO THE EDITOR: LAKE POWELL PIPELINE Forty million people who rely on the Colorado River face a much drier and Editor: more expensive future. The river supplies Arizona, California, Nevada, Col- New Mexico should challenge the Lake Powell Pipeline (LPP) because it orado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and México. The City of Las Vegas, would promote Utah's wasting of precious Colorado River water when which gets nearly 90 percent of its water from the Colorado, stores, treats deliveries to other states are being cut back. Southwestern states heavily and recycles much of its water. rely on Colorado River water. Due to climate change and the megadrought, some deliveries have already been reduced and caused economic hardship. The U.S. The Bureau of Reclamation released projections in August that Unfortunately, despite this new reality, Utah politicians and the Bureau of suggest Lake Mead and Lake Powell—the two largest man-made reservoirs Reclamation (BOR) are pushing to approve the controversial LPP before in the country—will decline five feet and 16 feet, respectively, in January, President Trump may leave office in January. BOR recently released a biased from levels of the year before. Lake Powell generates hydropower. In 2019, environmental study that fails to analyze any water conservation alternatives. Arizona, California and Nevada agreed to a drought contingency plan with voluntary cuts to prevent the reservoirs from dropping to dangerous levels. Washington County, Utah, where I live, would receive the LPP water. It uses When levels drop below 1,075 feet, Nevada and Arizona will have to take an average of 302 gallons per capita day. In contrast, Denver uses 142 and even less than cuts mandated by agreements between the seven states and the national average is 138. The county refuses to implement reasonable México. water conservation measures that have been successful elsewhere. The Colorado River provides water to 13 percent of U.S. livestock produc- The LPP may violate the Colorado River Compact by transferring upper-ba- tion and 15 percent of total U.S. crop output. Agricultural regions such as in sin water for a lower-basin use. Congressional approval is normally needed Arizona are scrambling to find alternative supplies to sustain growing cities for such a transfer, but Utah is not seeking it. LPP construction would harm and farms. Arizona gets nearly 40 percent of its water from the Colorado public lands, scenic vistas and wildlife such as threatened Mojave desert River and pays tribes that leave behind about 785,000 acre-feet they are enti- tortoises. tled to each year. As tribes need more water, that arrangement could change. During this pandemic economy, with high-priority public needs short on The Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System, which recently started con- funding, this three-billion-dollar LPP boondoggle should not proceed with- struction, will serve several pueblos and hundreds of non-pueblo users in out Congressional approval and a fair analysis of alternatives that are likely the corridor between Santa Fe and Española. The federal government is to to be cheaper and less environmentally destructive. annually buy 2,500 acre-feet of water that flows from the Colorado River basin into the Río Grande via the San Juan-Chama system. The Navajo Sincerely, Utah Water Rights Settlement passed the Senate in June, but as of August, Richard Spotts, Saint George, Utah the House had not taken action on it. If enacted into law, it would offer the Navajo Nation rights to 81,500 acre-feet of water a year from the Colorado River Basin. DECLINE IN DEMAND LEAVES RANCHERS UNABLE STATE INVESTMENT CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM NM TO PROCESS OR SELL LIVESTOCK Since March, the pandemic has disrupted New Mexico’s cattle and sheep SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS industries, as wholesale prices of meat and wool dropped sharply. Demand $332,000 in New Mexico-Grown Local Produce Grants for beef and lamb declined as restaurants closed or were reduced to takeout service to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The New Mexico Public Education Department has awarded 53 grants to school districts across the state to support farm-to-school programs that As small ranch operators had to forgo processing their livestock, cattle and purchase produce directly from local farmers for school meals. The grants lambs were stuck in barns and feedlots, and some had to be euthanized. The are funded through a state appropriation passed by the Legislature in 2019. drought has also been a factor that has raised costs of feeding animals. It is managed by the New Mexico Public Education Department’s Student Prices paid to ranchers for beef and lamb had already been declining since Success & Wellness Bureau, which seeks to ensure that all children have 2015. The following year, the “country of origin” labeling was removed, access to healthy meals and the resources they need to achieve academic allowing more competition from foreign exports. That caused many small success. New Mexico ranchers to shut down. Shelley Montgomery, food service director of Dexter Consolidated Schools, Local ranchers’ cooperatives sell high-quality meat from grass-fed local live- said, “The grant ensures that student nutrition money stays in New Mexico stock. New Mexico has three federally certified meat processors for slaugh- while providing tasty, nutritious foods for our students and families that face ter. A fourth is opening in Las Vegas. These processors are smaller than the obesity and other diet-related diseases.” high-volume plants such as the one Tyson Foods owns in Holcomb, Kansas, Applications for the grant program far exceeded the appropriation. An addi- which many New Mexico beef producers use. That plant was shut down for tional $232,263 was requested. New Mexico Grown Local Produce Grant three months due to a fire, which caused a glut of unsold cattle. Many large funding decreased from last year’s allocation, and as a result, only two new processing facilities were shut down for weeks because of viral outbreaks districts will implement farm-to-school programs. In the 2020-2021 school among workers. year, 25 percent of New Mexico school districts—serving over 183,318 Shoppers are finding the price of beef to be up to 25 percent higher than students every day—will be purchasing locally grown fruits and vegetables last year. Although output has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, for their student nutrition programs. demand has been falling domestically and around the world. The United For questions about the grants or the Farm-to-School Program, visit the Nations predicts that per-capita consumption of meat in the U.S. will fall New Mexico Farm to School Page, or contact Kendal Chavez: (505) 827- by almost 3 percent in 2020. It remains to be seen is to what degree this 1807 or [email protected] pandemic shift lasts.

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 37 NMSU EXTENSION COORDINATES NEW FARMER GRANTS FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS FROM NETWORK IN THE FOUR CORNERS NMDA’S HEALTHY SOIL PROGRAM Local food systems face obstacles such as an aging farmer population and October 8 Application Deadline the challenge for new farmers to find land to farm. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) is accepting grant appli- New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service has a new cations for its Healthy Soil Program, which was established in 2019 as part of the program to address this. Its Northwest New Mexico New Farmer Network Healthy Soil Act. That Act, passed by the Legislature, is designed to promote and connects those who have farmland with people who want to farm. “Our support farming and ranching systems and other forms of land management that goal is to facilitate 15 new farm lease agreements over the next two years by increase soil organic matter, aggregate stability, microbiology and water retention fostering communication between landowners and farmers, and aggregating to improve soil health, yield and profitability. resources,” said program specialist Wes Medlock. New Mexico farmers and ranchers interested in applying must have done so by A user-friendly website is being developed for landowners to advertise their Aug. 31 through an eligible entity such as a Soil and Water Conservation District, farmland or acreage to new and transitioning farmers. Farmers can also a tribe, nation, pueblo, land grant or acequia. Eligible entities are also able to post what kind of land they are looking for. All landowners and farmers can apply on their own behalf after they receive a preliminary review of their applica- participate. The outreach target audience includes women, Native Americans tion. The NMDA must receive those applications by 5 p.m. on Oct. 8. and farmers from minority groups, as well as disabled veterans. Grant funding may be used for agricultural projects in New Mexico that focus on Medlock said he hopes the network will contribute to the development of one or more of five basic soil health principles. a strong local food system. Working with NMSU Extension, the NWNM Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter and the Harvest Food Hub in Farmington, “We received 84 applications as part of the pilot program last year,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. For more information or to down- the service also provides technical assistance for specialty crop production load an application, call 575-646-2642 or visit www.nmda.nmsu.edu. and marketing. For more information, contact Medlock at 505-334-9496 or [email protected]. Five basic soil health principles • Keep the soil covered GLYPHOSATE WEED KILLER SETTLEMENT • Minimize soil disturbance on cropland • Maximize biodiversity • Maintain a living root In June 2020, Bayer agreed to pay up to $10.9 billion to settle litigation over • Integrate animals into land management Roundup®. About 125,000 lawsuits have been filed claiming that the glyphosate-based herbicide causes cancer. Bayer has also agreed to pay $1.2 billion to settle lawsuits over another weedkiller, dicamba, and for water contamination by the toxic chemical PCB. In August, Monsanto, in its third courtroom loss, was ordered to pay $86.7 million to a couple in California who had used glyphosate on their lawn for decades. Both suffered from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Monsanto was acquired by Bayer in 2018. Roundup® is still widely adver- tised and sold around the world and in the U.S. at places such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. Bayer and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continue to maintain that glyphosate is safe when used as its label directs. México Phasing-out Glyphosate Herbicides The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), México’s Environment Ministry, has announced that the country will phase out the use of glyphosate-based herbicides by 2024 to protect human health and the environment.

Dr. Adelita San Vicente Tello, director general of the Primary Sector and Renewable Natural Resources at SEMARNAT, said that, together with the National Council of Science and Technology, she is analyzing alternatives to the use of glyphosate herbicides for large-scale agricultural production. She said there are many weed management methods that farmers and Indigenous communities have applied for thousands of years.

Government education campaigns in a variety of media and languages that include data and independent scientific sources on the effects of glyphosate-based herbicides are being created to alert the population to the risks involved.

38 GREENFIRETIMES.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 WHAT’S GOING ON ONLINE SEPT. 8 ALBUQUERQUE ARCHITECTS DECLARE CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY EMERGENCY carbon-positive.org SEPT. AND OCT., 9 AM–NOON Live, free, interdisciplinary event for architects, planners, designers, engineers, builders, OUTDOOR FIELD SCHOOL developers, manufacturers and policymakers. Plan, design and build a positive carbon Open Space Visitor Center future to meet the Paris Agreement target. Youth ages 9–12 can explore, discover and learn about the natural world through fun and hands-on science outdoors. Two-day SEPT. 9, 2–4 PM sessions foster skills used by wildlife biologists, climatologists and SAN JUAN–CHAMA WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP foresters. $20. 505-897-8831, play.cabq.gov Zoom meeting for members, stakeholders and others to recruit officers and share what organizations, agencies, businesses and the community are doing to protect the SJCW DAILY, 8 AM–2 PM; FRI.–SUN., 5–8:30 PM; landscape. www.sanjuanchama.org CLOSED MON. ABQ BIOPARK SEPT. 10–11, 9–11:30 AM COVID-safe practices include timed ticketing. 505-768-2000. DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SYSTEMS https://abqbiopark.holdmyticket.com WORKFORCE SUMMIT Santa Fe Community College and Microgrid Systems Lab workshop on workforce edu- THROUGH DEC., MON.–FRI., 7:30 AM–5:30 PM cation, training and job opportunities in battery energy storage, solar + storage, smart ALL-DAY RECREATIONAL YOUTH PROGRAMS buildings, microgrids and the evolving smart grid. [email protected] Community center-based education and recreation to support distance-learning, help families navigate the unusual schooling th SEPT. 12, 5:30 PM schedule. Lunch and dinner provided. K–8 grade. Play.cabq.gov MARAVILLA 2020: UNA NOCHE EN EL MUNDO HISPANO www.maravillagala.com SANTA FE Performances, demonstrations, virtual fiesta and video tour of the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Free. OCT. 6, 5–6 PM FORAGED FLAVORS OF SANTA FE SEPT. 14–17 Slow Food SF presents author Ellen Zachos (www.backyardforager.com) FIRST BIENNIAL NATIONAL TRIBAL AND INDIGENOUS on foraging for food and drink in our own backyards. $25. www. CLIMATE CONFERENCE slowfoodsantafe.org Nau.edu/NTICC “Climate Justice for Seven Generations.” Hosted by the Institute for Tribal Environ- THURS.–MON., 9 AM–NOON; 2–5 PM mental Professionals. Open to all tribal nations and Indigenous peoples. Experts will SANTA FE BOTANICAL GARDEN include a balance of traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western science. Museum Hill 12–2 pm: closed for cleaning. Tickets: $7–$10. SEPT. 14–NOV. 20 Children under 12 free. Reservations required. No pets. ACTIVATE NEW MEXICO [email protected], www.santafebotanicalgarden.org https://activatenm.com Mentors in accelerator program help tech founders/startups registered in NM build SAT.–SUN. THROUGH NOV. 1, 9 AM–3 PM valuable businesses that will disrupt markets through big visions and innovative, trans- LEONORA CURTIN WETLAND PRESERVE formative ideas. $500. La Ciénega 35-acre nature preserve. More than 600 species of flora SEPT. 17–OCT. 23, TUES. AND FRI., 5–6:30 PM and fauna. Groups of five max. Masks required. ANCESTRAL, FOLK & HERBAL MEDICINE Santafebotanicalgarden.org/visit Resilience, Rebirth and Regeneration. Sliding scale: $270.–$380. www.nativerootshealing.com SANTA FE INNOVATES BUSINESS ACCELERATOR Santafeinnovates.com SEPT. 18–19 Four-month online program to help startup entrepreneurs evalu- GILA RIVER FESTIVAL ate and shape a business idea, write a business plan, learn how to www.gilariverfestival.org launch a product and make pitches to investors. “Cultivating Community and Ecological Resilience.” Speakers include author/ethno- botanist Gary Paul Nabhan. Panel discussion on resilient food systems includes Miguel TAOS Santistevan of Taos. Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Watch & interact live. OCT. 4–10 SEPT. 25 HARWOOD MUSEUM OF ART ONLINE AUCTION GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE www.harwoodmuseum.org All Across the Globe Emil Bisttram, Dorothy Brett, Willard Clark, Elizabeth Couse, Demonstrations adjusted to COVID-19 circumstances. To minimize risks of triggering Walt Gonske, Ned Jacob, Ouray Meyers, August Muth, Paul Pletka, irreversible chain reactions beyond human control, we need to act now. 350santafe.org, Michio Takayama, Ray Vinella and many more. www.fridaysforfuture.org OCT. 5–30 OCT. 26–NOV. 20 EARTHSHIP ACADEMY El Prado, N.M. RESILIENCE IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY Extensive training in Earthship design, construction and philoso- https://quiviracoalition.org/regenerate/ phy. Classes, labs, tours led by builders, electricians, plumbers and Plenaries, roundtable discussions, workshops and exhibits for farmers, ranchers, conser- plant specialists. Tuition: $2,500. 575-613-4409, vationists, land managers, scientists, medical professionals, nutritionists, educators and https://lnkd.in/dkGSs2J students. $60–$225. Presented by Quivira Coaltion, Holistic Management International. and Grassfed Association. GREENFIRETIMES.COM 39