October 2016 Green Fire Times by Sun Publishing

Building a Regional Food System Farm to School Education: hEalthy KidS — hEalthy Economy thE ESpañola FarmErS’ marKEt • thE nEw w avE oF agricultorES October 2016

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Vol. 8 No. 10

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Vol. 8, No. 10 •O ctober 2016 Issue No. 90 PUBLISHER

Green Fire Publishing, LLC Skip Whitson

News & Views

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GREEN FIRE TIMES c/o The Sun Companies P.O. Box 5588, SF, NM 87502-5588 505.471.5177 • info@greenfiretimes.com © 2016 Green Fire Publishing, LLC Green Fire Times provides useful information for community members, business people, students and visitors—anyone interested in discovering the wealth of opportunities and resources in the Southwest. In support of a more sustainable planet, topics covered range from green businesses, jobs, products, services, entrepreneurship, investing, design, building and energy—to native perspectives on history, arts & culture, ecotourism, education, sustainable agriculture, regional cuisine, water issues and the healing arts. To our publisher, a more sustainable planet also means maximizing environmental as well as personal health by minimizing consumption of meat and alcohol. Green Fire Times is widely distributed throughout northcentral New Mexico as well as to a growing number of New Mexico cities, towns, pueblos and villages. Feedback, announcements, event listings, advertising and article submissions to be considered for publication are welcome.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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froM the

A RegionAl Food And FARming SyStem in new mexico — PAm Roy

SAntA Fe county’S AgRicultuRe And RAnching imPlementAtion PlAn

ShoPPing locAl with SquASh BloSSom

AcequiA cultuRe And the RegionAl Food SyStem — miguel SAntiStevAn

A PoStcARd view oF the eSPAñolA FARmeRS’ mARket’S conteStS — SABRA mooRe

eSPAñolA heAling FoodS oASiS gARden SPARkS A community RevivAl

the new wAve oF AgRicultoReS — AlejAndRo lóPez

the BuenA PARA todoS FARmeRS’ cooPeRAtive — nAzcA A wARRen

the heAlth And SAFety oF oRgAnic FARmeRS

cloSing the Food gAP – the AgRi-cultuRA netwoRk — kAtheRine michAlSke

the gRowing heAlth And juStice coAlition — tRAviS mckenzie

moBile FARmeRS’ mARket exPAndS ReAch in yeAR two

heAlthy Food iS key to imPRoving heAlth — leigh cASwell

con AlmA heAlth FoundAtion initiAtiveS — deBoRAh BuSemeyeR

lA FAmiliA medicAl centeR’S heAlthy c e n A PRogRAm

new mexico celeBRAteS FARm to School month — PAm Roy

celeBRAting heAlthy kidS And heAlthy communitieS in nm — AnnA mullen

kidS cook! — celeBRAting 15 yeARS — mARy meyeR

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Building a Regional Food System Farm to School Education: hEalthy KidS — hEalthy Economy The española Farmers’ markeT • The New wave oF agriculTores October 2016

NortherN New Mexico’s Largest DistributioN Newspaper

Vol. 8 No. 10

ON THE COVER: Mendez Produce booth at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Photo © Seth Roffman

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October 2016

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October 2016

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A REGIONAL FOOD and FARMING SYSTEM in NEW MEXICO

The New Mexico Grown Program Pam Roy

ew Mexico is abundant with locally and regionally produced foods—from fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts, to beef and milk. Then there are the many products created from farm and ranch businesses such as traditional foods— chile products, salsa and tortillas—to artisanal products such as goat and milk cheeses, wheat for breads, wines, and hops for beer. Overall, agriculture in New Mexico contributes over $4 billion to the state’s economy annually and is considered the state’s fourth-largest economic sector.

There is much potential to expand opportunities for New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers.

With the growth of farmers’ markets in New Mexico, as well as fruit and vegetable sales to schools, and a wide variety of regionally produced products p u rc h a s e d by g r o c e r y s t o re s a n d restaurants, there is much potential to expand these opportunities for our farmers and ranchers. In a state where much of the revenues are predicated on oil and gas sales to pay for education, health and human ser vices, agriculture, infrastructure and many other services, investing in our regional food and farm system could expand economic opportunities in New Mexico, keeping more dollars in our communities while continuing to support the agriculture sectors that

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Northern New Mexico farmland

are export-oriented. In a study called Food and Farm Economy for New Mexico, economist for the Crossroad Resource Center, Ken Meter states, “If consumers bought 15 percent of their food directly from local farmers, farm income would increase over $375 million. For every dollar that goes to local farmers, at least $1.80 is re-spent in the community. Thus, 15 percent in purchases from local farmers would generate $670 million per year in new community wealth.” In addition, close to 60 million meals are ser ved annually in New Mexico’s schools, corrections facilities, senior centers and public hospitals—a market largely untapped except with the schools. There is much potential for New Mexico to create more market opportunities that would add to the regional economy and strengthen our food and farming system. In an effort to address this potential there is a collective effort under way called the New Mexico Grown Program, a five-year vision to create a coordinated

regional system that connects farmers with aggregation facilities and distribution, while managing sales, promotion and education programs— referred to as a “supply chain” or “value chain.” There are examples of initiatives already under way. The New Mexico Grown Program works to bring more of the participants in the system together to create and coordinate more opportunities. i New Mexico-grown crops

Ye t , a p p rox i m a t e l y 9 7 p e rc e n t o f what we grow, produce and process is exported, leaving us to rely on the larger marketplace to bring in food from elsewhere, including globally. The global marketplace is important to dairy and beef producers, who account for more than haft of the state's agriculture sales. Additionally, New Mexico is a major producer of pecans, pistachios and onions. A big market for New Mexico’s pecans is China.

Pam Roy is executive director of Farm to Table, a Santa Fe-based nonprof it organization supporting farmers and food related community programs. She can be reached at 505.660.8403 or pam@farmtotable.org

Green Fire Times • October 2016

SANTA FE COUNTY’S AGRICULTURE and RANCHING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Connecting A Thousand Points of Light Erin Ortigoza

The local agricultural economy is essential to health, economic well-being and quality of life.

Demand and economic opportunity are on the rise for fresh, local agricultural p ro d u c t s , w h i c h a re i n c re a s i n g l y incorporated into restaurant menus and school lunch programs and highlighted in grocery stores. Even with an increasing demand for local food, agricultural and ranching land uses are in competition with non-agricultural development. Fewer landowners are able to keep their land in production due to environmental, social and economic factors such as limited water supply for irrigation, advanced age, lack of resources, other job commitments and children leaving rural communities. These factors undermine the capacity of the local food system, and yet they have inspired work toward maintaining and enhancing the local agricultural economy, which is seen as essential to health, economic well-being and quality of life. In response to these challenges and in recognition of the work being done by community members and organizations, the Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners adopted the Agriculture and Ranching Implementation (ARI) Plan on July 26. The ARI Plan is designed to connect the “thousand points of light,” or farmers, ranchers, markets and agricultural efforts in our region to support the local food system. Enhancing relationships with community members and organizations active in agriculture is a crucial aspect of

thousand points of light make up the past, present and future of an agricultural legacy that shapes our querencia. Santa Fe Count y has a rich agricultural heritage. The valleys and ranges have been in production for thousands of years, supporting diverse populations t h ro u g h o u t h i s t o r y. Fa r m i n g a n d ranching are profoundly embedded in the loc al culture and economy and have shaped lives and landscapes for generations. This deeply forged connection to place fuels a passion and a lifestyle that continues to the present day.

A cornfield at Tesuque Pueblo, north of Santa Fe the plan, which was written with extensive community input and builds upon existing initiatives and agricultural partnerships. The ARI Plan is a guide to building a collective awareness of agricultural lands, resources, challenges and economic opportunities within Santa Fe County by: • Promoting awareness of agricultural land preservation options; • I n c r e a s i n g a c c e s s t o e x i s t i n g agricultural programs, resources, incentives, financial and technical support; • Demonstrating agricultural and ecological projects; • Establishing baseline information regarding Santa Fe’s capacity to produce food; • I d e n t i f y i n g m a r k e t n i c h e s t o strengthen the local food supply and demand chain; and • Developing economic opportunity in the agricultural sector.

The ARI Plan outlines key actions in the following five focus areas.

program, and for the establishment of the TDR Bank to support the program.

Protecting Land and Natural Resources Agricultural sustainability requires the protection of existing farm and ranch land. In order to support the preservation of existing agricultural land, Santa Fe County has initiated the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program, a voluntary, incentive-based, market-driven approach to preserving agricultural land, open space and other environmental resources while encouraging development in designated areas.

In addition to TDR outreach, county staff will collaborate with partners to become familiar with other “tools” in the land conservation toolkit to provide landowners a comprehensive range of options for preserving agricultural land.

The TDR program benefits agriculture by providing landowners a way to protect agricultural resources, maintain ownership of their land and water, and generate revenue by selling their development rights. The ARI Plan calls for ongoing outreach to communities and stakeholders countywide to familiarize residents with the concepts of the TDR

…Part of what defines our querencia Which gives us this sense of place, is our food, Contrary to those who say that there can be no sense of place In today’s global experiment. And our food cannot be separated from how we work the Land and how we water our crops…

Green Fire Times • October 2016

— Estévan Arellano, New Mexican historian, farmer and writer

Connecting Farmers and Ranchers to Resources

It is clear that more connections need to be made between people producing food and the resources they need to do it. These resources range from equipment to technical/financial support and access to land, water, quality seed and helping hands. There are existing programs designed to provide these ser vices. The county will work with partners and community members to increase awareness of these opportunities. The ARI Plan calls for ongoing outreach to communities and stakeholders to build relationships and provide information about community-based resources to support more efficient food production and compile information on agricultural resources and programs.

Promoting Innovative Approaches to Agricultural Use of County Properties

Agricultural and ecological (agroecological) demonstration projects provide educ ational oppor tunities to showcase the mutually beneficial dynamics of well-designed agricultural

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SHOPPING LOCAL with SQUASH BLOSSOM

Display of seeds and crops grown in northern New Mexico

A New Mexico-g rown company, Squash Blossom Local Food, offers the convenience of shopping 100 percent local from the comfort of your home.

potential of wasted food. Also, unlike CSAs, there is no commitment to order each week, nor upfront costs or buy-in on the shoppers’ end. Squash Blossom also sells wholesale produce to restaurants. This is actually the backbone of the business. Just as retail customers are notified of what is in season, so are chefs. Farmers harvest by the case for some of the finest restaurants in Santa Fe.

The food is received within 24 hours from when it is picked.

A table at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market and ecological systems in a landscape. When designed with holistic landscape management principles, agricultural projects c an contr ibute positivel y to overall land productivity/grazing potential, water qualit y, drainage, wildlife habitat, erosion control and flood resiliency. The ARI Plan provides several examples of sites where the count y should consider developing agro-ecological demonstration projects. Concepts include edible landscaping, native “forage forests,” orchards, water harvesting for food production, community gardens and grazing plans designed for grassland health. These projects are exciting opportunities for the county to partner with community members and groups for long-term agricultural stewardship of the land.

Visitors to the company’s online store can see what is fresh each week. The products change with the seasons and come from more than 20 northern New Mexico farms. In Santa Fe, weekly orders can be picked up midtown a t Ve r d e J u i c e o n San Mateo Road or downtown at Cheesemongers on Marcy Street. Squash Blossom also offers delivery to workplaces if there are at least five interested coworkers or employees.

Farmers also benefit from this enterprise because Squash Blossom takes care of all of the marketing, sales, bookkeeping and distribution of its products. Farmer Danny Farrar of Rancho La Jolla says, “Squash Blossom is really convenient. There’s no way I could reach as many people and restaurants on my own. I’d be in my truck and on the phone all day. I just harvest what is ordered, and make one drop. I don’t have to worry about collecting payments and going to the bank. I get direct deposit, and I like that feature a lot.”

Understanding the Capacity of Our Local Food System

Today’s local food system encompasses multiple scales of production and buyers who provide access to local food throughout the community. It is critical to understand the existing capacity of resources in our foodshed ecosystem in order to plan strategically for the viability of future local food supply and demand.

Agricultural Resource Inventory

The Agricultural Resource Inventory will compile information about the status of agriculture and ranching in Santa Fe County. It will document market and production capacity, as well as infrastructure options, such as cold storage, aggregation and transportation options that may be underutilized or further coordinated. The inventory is

Unlike the traditional Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, Squash Blossom’s participating farmers harvest produce based on specific orders. That allows customers to choose exactly what and how much they want. The food is received within 24 hours from when it is picked. Farmers only harvest for expectant buyers, thus eliminating the

focused on building relationships with members of the agricultural community. Stories from the fields are living history, and there is both economic potential and local character embedded in those stories. By speaking with people, the county will have a better understanding of the needs and challenges faced

For more information, email Squash Blossom’s founder and CEO, Nina Yozell-Epstein: nina@ squashblossomlocalfood. com or visit www. squashblossomlocalfood.com

by local growers and will be better positioned to offer targeted support. i

For more information about the Agriculture and Ranching Implementation Plan, contact Erin Ortigoza, Santa Fe County Senior Planner: 505.986.6125 or eortigoza@santafecountynm.gov

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October 2016

ARCHAEOLOGY ART GEOLOGY NATURAL HISTORY

BIOLOGY

CULTURAL AFFAIRS LITERATURE

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October 2016

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ACEQUIA CULTURE and thE REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM

miguEl SantiStEvan E Evan foR thE nEw E mExico E acEquia aSSociation

Students harvest corn in Taos, New Mexico

Farmers with apricot tree and bean field in Dixon, NM

cequia irrigation originated in the highlands of Central Asia more than 10,000 years ago and traveled to places such as India and the Middle East. As acequias were established in different areas from the Old World to the New, crops from those areas were incorporated into the diet and practice of acequia culture. By the time the acequia system arrived in the Americas in the 16th century, it carried with it an entourage of crops and animals that represented its origins: apple trees and chickens from Asia, cattle and sorghum from Africa, sheep and many legumes from the Near East, to name a few. The Old World acequia tradition was matched by incredible agricultural development of indigenous populations in the Americas. Indigenous peoples were practicing many kinds of agricultural production that relied on intensive management of the landscape, including dryland agriculture, floating gardens, agri-forestry, terracing and flood irrigation, among others.The acequia concept came northward with Spanish and Mexican settlers and later included the crops and practices of Puebloan cultures as it took root in what would become New Mexico. Over time, a unique and integrated food system developed that can only be found in New Mexico. A mixture of Old and New World foods, crops and traditions developed into a regional food system that was mostly sustained by acequias. Communities relied on each other to provide staples that could be abundantly produced in their respective environments. What could not be grown in particular areas was obtained through barter with other communities. For example, chile produced in villages of lower elevations could be traded for potatoes that came from higher elevations.

who belong to it and help manage it. Local knowledge contained within the community and the organizational structure that keeps people connected to the tradition will be important for strengthening our regional food system. Acequia communities manage resources like water and land together for mutual benefits in agricultural production. These relationships result in people coming together to continue the practices necessary to the production of food such as cleaning acequias, picking up bales, or butchering animals (matanzas). matanzas matanzas). The acequia agricultural tradition can be described by the use of diverse crop and animal types and land-use techniques in the watershed. Production takes on a seasonal character with different activities meeting each season. Root crops and certain grains can be planted in the late fall; certain frost-tolerant legumes, roots and other grains can be planted in the late winter/early spring; and most grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables can be planted in the late spring and early summer. Working with various crops at different times of the year can allow the grower to take advantage of the potential qualities of each season, such as temperatures and moisture, and can create the conditions for more sustainable yields over the long term.

Many foods from acequia systems continue to be the cornerstone of local culture and regional cuisine.

New Mexico eventually experienced significant changes of modernization, many of which interrupted agricultural practices and our relationship to local food and acequias. Some lands shifted to pasture and alfalfa production, feeding our desire for dairy and meat products. Today, acequia use can be measured in the production of bulk commodities and smaller-scale specialties that feed farmers’ markets, as well as the continuation of traditional agriculture and food traditions. Many foods from acequia systems continue to be the cornerstone of local culture and regional cuisine, with specialty foods like chicos (dried horno-roasted corn stew), tamales, posole posole, and of course, chile, making appearances at least for holidays. Many others regularly consume atole and chaquegüe (blue and white cornmeal porridge), crops that were grown in or originated from an acequia landscape. As a person looks to reconnect with local food, the best place to start is with what has worked in the past. The acequia tradition offers practicality and sustainability for food production in our environment, which can be characterized by alkaline soils, limited water and potential weather extremes. Over generations of agricultural refinement, acequia culture offers examples for the expansion of our regional food system in terms of community organization, resiliency in practice and its relationship with incidental food production in the landscape. The term acequia not only refers to the physical irrigation channel, but to all the members

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Husking horno-roasted corn for chicos

Acequia culture also carries with it the concept of jardín de riso and gathering the landscape,components of a regional food system likely to gain importance as we increasingly feel the effects of a deteriorating industrial food system and climate change.The jardín de riso is the collection of wild plants that serve as food and medicine that happen to self-propagate in the irrigated landscape as “weeds.”Several varieties of wild spinach (quelites) quelites) and purslane (verdolagas) quelites verdolagas flourish amongst crops in acequia-irrigated fields. The relationship acequias have with the extended landscape provides a connection to additional food resources such as piñón, chimaja (wild parsley) and other food and medicinal plants. In this tradition, gathering from the landscape can strengthen our regional food system by making use of wild plants, such as four-wing saltbush and Indian ricegrass.These food sources that thrive in our landscape were an important part of the diet of indigenous people of the region prior to European contact. It is inevitable that there will be some challenges to our food security in the future. But these challenges can be met by innovations in our relationship to food if they are based on what has worked in the past and developed in a manner that is respectful to the environment and the cultures from which they came. Acequia agriculture has been a cornerstone in the organization of the community and the actualization of food security and can (and should) continue to play a fundamental role into our future.Then our regional food system not only will serve the food needs of our population, but will allow the continuation of longstanding agricultural traditions in New Mexico.The acequia landscape has changed, but every square foot of land connected to the acequia now represents a great part and potential of our regional food system and its ability to feed our communities. i Miguel Santistevan is dedicated to the conservation of traditional agricultural practices, seeds and acequia systems. He maintains a small acequia-irrigated Permaculture farm in Taos with his wife and two daughters. More information about Santistevan’s various activities can be found at solfelizfarm.wordpress.com

Green Fire Times •

October 2016

A POSTCARD VIEW of SIXTEEN YEARS of thE ESPAÑOLA FARMERS’ MARKET’S BIG VEGETABLE and BEST POEM CONTESTS SabRa R mooRE Ra

Annual postca

rd, 2015

n 2000, I answered an ad in the Rio Grande Sun for a “low-pay community job” managing the Española Farmers’ Market. As it turned out, I was the only applicant and I got the job, midway through the market season. I had moved to Abiquiú full time in 1996 after living for 30 years in Brooklyn. I worked in New York City as an artist and freelance photo editor. I had never managed a farmers’ market but had organized exhibitions, conferences and events. In taking the job, I was returning in an indirect manner to my rural East Texas roots. My grandparents had been farmers, and I grew up planting gardens; the farmers felt like kin.

A community space where growing food is a cultural value

an (5) © Seth Roffm

That first year Española Farmers’ Market was located on Don Diego Street, a short stretch of blacktop behind the historic Bond House. It was September. Beautiful pink and striped heirloom pumpkins were starting to appear on the vendors’stands. I thought about organizing a Big Vegetable Contest, in the long tradition of honoring prize produce. Then I decided to add a second part: a Best Poem Contest. I was afraid the growers would think my idea silly, but in fact they loved it. Poetry, songs and stories have long been part of rural culture. I asked some of the teachers who came as customers to solicit poems from their students, and some of the vendors’ children and grandchildren wrote poems as well. As an artist, my media included the artist’s book, so I made a photocopied booklet and printed all the submitted poems alongside grainy images from the contest day. I gave a book to each participant.There was some advertising money left over, so I had one of the contest photos printed on a postcard. For me, exhibit cards were ordinary, but for the farmers, the cards were unusual. The format of the contest was born and—with various modifications—has stuck for 16 years.

t, Sept. 5, 2016

Española Farmers’ Marke

Green Fire Times •

October 2016

If you look through the assembly of cards, some things are constant but other things change.We are always standing behind a row of straw bales lined with pumpkins, gourds, onions, apples and other produce of various sizes and shapes. Each year, our numbers have grown. Some of the same growers I met in 2000 are still with the

market and often line up for the yearly photo: Rudy Cordova, Nicolas Romero, Floraida and Tranquilino Martínez, Elias Gómez, Ida Salazar and Salvador Corona Chávez. Others in the early photo still visit but no longer sell: Euralia Vigil, Susie Lucero, Eufelia Martínez and Marie Coriz, among others. The smallest children have now graduated from high school. Poetry or vegetable judges and fellow organizers started appearing in more recent postcards: Joan Logghe, Beata Tsosie-Peña, Chellis Glendinning,Sandra Cata and Norma Navarro. The teenagers who work with Dexter Trujillo during the summer horno-cooking project, Cooking Up Traditions, have also joined in, and occasionally customers or musicians who play at midday stand beside the vendors. The market has changed but has also remained constant. We have moved through four sites; the first three on roads or parking lots.The 2007 card signals the biggest change—our walk to our permanent site at 1005 North Railroad Avenue, led in procession by the Española High School Mariachi Band. We are now on 3.19 irrigated acres and able to cultivate two gardens with the vendor plaza in the center. A wildflower garden and horno greet visitors at the entryway. In the back field, we are currently hosting New Moon Lodge and its cultivation of a fine cornfield using organic practices,under the aegis of Jon Naranjo. But the primacy of culture is the constant. Española Farmers’ Market has remained a community space where growing food is a cultural value and not simply an economic opportunity for growers. Even the production of the postcard exemplifies that spirt. Various friends and community members have taken the photos over the years for the cards that I have designed. Roger Mignon, Iren Schio, Marguerite Kearns, Betty Tsosie and others have freely shared their images from our celebrations. We are all there each year, posing for the picture, but also in motion, talking to someone on the side or sharing a laugh. We’ll be there again this year on Oct. 10 for the 17th annual contest. We invite you to join us. i Sabra Moore is market manager at the Española Fa r m e r s M a r k e t . espanolafarmersmarket. blogspot.com/

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ESPAÑOLA HEALING FOODS OASIS GARDEN SPARKS A COMMUNITY RENEWAL Can a garden change the course of a city? Tewa Women United thinks so. The awardwinning nonprofit organization has partnered with the City of Española to establish the Healing Foods Oasis, a community garden tucked behind City Hall. Since May, the group has transformed a barren slope with erosion problems in Valdez Park into a thriving garden featuring native herbs, flowers, grasses and trees. The long-term vision is for the site to serve as a living classroom with each plant species labeled with its Tewa, Spanish and English names. The garden has already hosted five free community workshops, as well as the first Regeneration Festival Española, a celebration of local youth. Corrine Sanchez, TWU’s executive director, says, “The Healing Foods Oasis is helping tell a new story about Española, one we’ve known has been there all along but can be obscured by the challenges of living in an economically distressed area. It is a story of a community with strong traditions and deep roots that values working together and supporting one another.” Over the spring and summer, nearly 150 volunteers from Río Arriba County and beyond have c o n t r i b u t e d m o re than 600 hours to the garden’s creation, an intensive process of laying irrigation drip line, preparing soil, laying down mulch, Tewa Women United’s Butterfly Wings girls helped prepare the site. and digging holes for dozens of native plants such as amaranth, beebalm, sumac and sage.

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Local businesses and organizations supporting the initiative with in-kind donations have included Angelina’s, Cook’s Home Center, El Paragua, Española Transit Mix, the Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute and Radicle. The project, based on TWU’s organizing principle of the Two-World Harmony Butterfly Model, balances Western technology with traditional Indigenous knowledge. Beata Tsosie-Peña, coordinator of the organization’s Environmental Justice program, says, “The Healing Foods Oasis is part of our vision to end all forms of violence against women, girls and our Mother Earth. It’s facilitating our reconnection to the plants, water, air and all the elements.” T W U i s c u r re n t l y in the midd le of a campaign to raise funds for a phase of the project that includes completing the irrigation system and constructing pathways and staircases throughout the garden. To support the project, visit: www.nativegiving. Community volunteers planting the garden org/partners/tewawomen-united. To learn about opportunities for volunteering, sponsorships, or donating materials, contact Maia Duerr, 505.310.3790, maia@tewawomenunited. org, or Beata Tsotsie-Peña, beata@tewawomenunited.org, or visit www. tewawomenunited.org

Green Fire Times •

October 2016

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October 2016

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THE NEW WAVE of AGRICULTORES

Article and photos by Alejandro López

osé Antonio Serrano is a thriving and dedicated agricultor who cultivates land in San Pedro, near Española. When asked about his work, he laughs at the near total improbability that he would have wound up making a living as a farmer in rural New Mexico when, just a few years before, in a dizzying and fast-paced México City, he had been working the beat as a policeman. He had never picked up a hoe or shovel in his life, or grown much of anything. Now he thanks his lucky stars that he is up at dawn irrigating a two-acre field, tending to his plants and picking succulent fruits and vegetables that he sells at local farmers’ markets through his business called Family Farms. In reality, he loves farming but probably would never have discovered it had he not packed up his entire family and belongings and journeyed northward to try his luck at landing a better life.

For Mexicanos, this newfound role as caretakers of the New Mexican earth and producers of the region’s food, makes tremendous sense.

In contrast, Rosa María Alcantar, from the state of Guanajuato, and her two hardworking sisters, Estela and Liliana, who farm an acre in Santa Cruz and another plot in nearby Chamita, have known the farming life since they were little girls. And do they ever know it! By early March they have already cleared and prepared land for snow peas, which they sow by early April and are selling by late May or early June. They have discovered that as the peas mature, they can plant beans interspersed among the peas so that when the spent pea plants are pulled up in mid-June, the beans already have a head start and will mature by the end of summer. They also specialize in white onions and several varieties of potatoes including the exotic fingerlings. Masters of irrigation, they never let their beloved plants go too many days without water—the secret to their crops’ health and prolific output. Angél, a middle-aged man from Michoacán, specializes in growing corn and chile. He also plants saffron, a spice whose bright yellow flowers have traditionally given certain rice dishes, like the Spanish paella, their golden hue. Highly adept at employing his trusted mule, Paisa, in the plowing of fields, Angél resorts to methods and technologies that disappeared from this area decades ago. To watch him plow is to witness how—before the advent of powerful, modern machinery and the proliferation of petroleum products—people used highly ingenious means for tilling soil. These required simple but sophisticated tools, a high level of rapport between man and beast, as well as great physical strength and endurance. Angél lo tiene todo. Angél has got it all. Neri, a 27-year-old man who hails from Guatemala, is yet another example of an individual from the remote south who was radically changed by New Mexico’s compelling agricultural, social and economic environment. Initially unfamiliar with the plant life of northern New Mexico and its agriculture, after a year of working for Don Bustos on his Santa Cruz farm, he became farm manager. Much like the people of Iowa who have taken the initiative to publicly thank the wave of Mexicano and Central American people who have saved Iowa’s hog and meatpacking industries,

Angél coaches grandson in mule-driven plowing process, Santa Cruz

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so too might the people of northern New Mexico consider thanking them. For these immigrants have embraced and strengthened an essential way of life that, during the last many years, has been greatly diminished. Certainly, for the last 20 years, since the tremendous influx of Mexicanos into the U.S. and New Mexico began to take place, they have taken up the slack in our waning agricultural landscape and have helped make it viable and green again. In one village along the Río Grande, elderly retired Nuevo Mexicano farmers whose grown children had chosen to pursue a living elsewhere recently opted to sell their land to members of this community. The Mexicano people were only too happy to buy it and pursue this richly rewarding but arduous occupation, while the Nuevo Mexicanos were pleased to see their traditional and beloved siembra de la tierra (sowing of the earth) continue into the future. Anyone who has ever worked beside Mexican farmworkers is familiar with the enormous ganas, or fervor, with which they work. For Mexicanos, this newfound role as caretakers of the New Mexican earth and as agricultores and producers (together with other people) of the region’s food, makes tremendous sense. By and large, they have a deep knowledge and regard for the soil and what it can produce. Nearly their entire population is just one or two generations removed from a traditional agricultural way of life, which goes back thousands of years, altered only by the Spanish conquest. In general, México’s produce, an amazing variety of fruits and vegetables—some found nowhere else on the planet—tend to be naturally organic. They are available in huge quantities, in bustling open-air markets where people haggle over prices, and the daily drama of life unfolds against mounds of yellow-red mangos, heaps of green corn ears and piles of freshly picked squash blossoms. From such products comes the country’s rich, flavorful, no-nonsense cuisine. México’s traditional cuisine was recently declared an important part of the world’s patrimony by UNESCO. Thanks to Méxican immigrants, that same cuisine has found its way to New Mexico and can now be prepared from locally produced ingredients. Plenty of those resources are indeed present here in northern New Mexico, but due to the historical devaluation of smallscale agriculture and manual work, in recent years there had been relatively few individuals or families willing to pursue this way of life, upon which the lives of everyone else has historically depended.Thankfully, these people from Meso-America, the historical birthplace of corn, beans, squash, chile and tomatoes, have

Families with rural roots in México help with harvest in the Española Valley

Neri Martínez picking corn, Española Valley

Angél checking water flow in chile field, Santa Cruz stepped forward, hoe and shovel in hand, to sustain and perpetuate this intensely lifeserving way of life. ¡Mil gracias! i A l e j a n d r o L ó pe z , a northern New Mexican writer and photographer, is an avid student of Mexican life. He teaches English in the immigrant community and Spanish to English speakers.

Green Fire Times • October 2016

SEEDS to PLANT, SEEDS to SAVE

The Bueno para Todos Farmers’ Cooperative nazca a.w waRREn

Here in El Valle, N.M, on the Pecos River along Highway 3, the work of the Bueno Para Todos Farmers’ Cooperative (BPT) mirrors this process. Even far from harvest, both on our own and together, we learn about what community means and what the future holds for us. “It’s about learning from other farmers, gaining wisdom about working with the microclimate,” said BPT Director Yvonne Sandoval, “and how to be in relationship with the land, the sacredness of water and building relationships.”

generates interest, and that’s part of the building process.”

Vincent García (r) working at his farm near Sena, NM, with his father, Carlos García and Chico the puppy

and other people’s land and preserves it by canning. “BPT can one day prepare produce for long-term stability for the area,” said Aguilar. “There is a need for local farm skill and labor. The valley needs more people involved in the process.”

Farmers learning from other farmers, gaining wisdom about working with the microclimate

While BPT member Jeanette Iskat does not farm, she helps others as much as she can. “I am committed to finding good seeds… and helping market and sell people’s crops,” she said. “New Mexico exports most of what is grown here and imports most of what is eaten here. That is not sustainable.” Member Abel Aguilar also does not farm but harvests fruit from his property

Green Fire Times •

This year, a 30-by-94-ft. hoop house, courtesy of a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, was erected on multigenerational farmer and BPT member Vincent García’s farm. Along with García’s family and friends, numerous community and cooperative members, a group of University of New Mexico students and the Cooperative Development Center of New Mexico (CODECE) lent a hand. “It

is possible that the economy might come to a point that farming will become a necessity. Also, the negative side-effects of genetically modified produce might encourage more people to farm,” said García. Not far down the road, another USDA hoop house was built on Sandoval’s farm this summer. Sandoval’s partner, BPT member Santiago Gerónimo Hernández, feels these hoop-houses represent a lot. “There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes to build a farm—the planning, labor and projects, setting up and testing irrigation, getting people together. It’s not just about planting seeds,” said Hernández. “When people see what you are doing, it

Photo Courtesy YFTM Program

Comprised of individuals who have lived and farmed in the area for generations, along with relative newcomers to the area and to farming, BPT began four years ago as a project to create community gardens through its mother organization, El Valle Women’s Collaborative. It was successful in bringing Collaborative members, local youth and community members together. BPT has since become its own entity, focused on revitalizing El Valle’s rich farming community.

Through another local organization, the Youth Farm to Market (YFTM) Program, sustainability continues in the truest sense of the word by engaging the next generation. YFTM director and BPT member Eileen Mulvihill teaches a group of El Valle youth about farming with hands-on education. “I hope to help the local youth eat more healthy foods and experience a sense of community,” said Mulvihill.

Photo Courtesy USDA

ith the late monsoon rains comes the beginning of the harvest season. Ears of corn swell on their stalks, green chile is abundant, tomatoes come out of the garden in gallons, green beans by the basketful. After all the planting, tending, weeding, pest control and watering comes the enormous task of making sure that all of the long-awaited produce is processed in time.

YFTM participants work on a farm near Villanueva, NM. They meet at least once a week to plant, weed, harvest and process produce for sale and make products such as blackberry pie.

October 2016

YFTM’s second annual harvest dinner is coming up at the end of October at El Valle Community Center. At last year’s event, locals were treated to a dinner created by YFTM participants and learned about the program through presentations by the youth. To help YFTM and community members process their produce, the Villanueva General Store is working to create a large commercial kitchen. Danny López, whose family has owned the store for generations said, “The kitchen is for the valley, first and foremost. We need to generate income that starts in the valley and stays here.” Community members will be able to get commercial kitchen certification and sell items at the store, in addition to catering and classes on how to make regional foods. López expects the kitchen to be up and running by Thanksgiving. García said that 90 percent of what his family ate growing up they grew themselves, and there was still enough to give away. Can you imagine looking on your plate to find that nearly everything there was grown by your own hand or by someone you know? “We plant and harvest produce grown by an ancestral lineage of at least eight generations before us,” said García, “Farming creates a spiritual bond with my religious faith, Mother Earth and my ancestors. My dad and I handle every seed planted.” i N a z c a A . Wa r r e n has lived in El Valle with her family for the past f ive years. She is a small-scale subsistence farmer and a Bueno Para Todos Cooperative member.

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The Pueblo of Tesuque Agriculture Department Invites you to a workshop on Quantum Agriculture with Hugh Lovel

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Green Fire Times â&#x20AC;˘ October 2016

THE HEALTH and SAFETY of ORGANIC FARMERS

Greenhouse in the South Valley of Albuquerque

n 2014, researchers at the University of New Mexico’s College of Population Health received funding from the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education to explore health and safety issues among organic farmers in central New Mexico. “The small grant was instrumental for recruiting 30 farmers willing to talk about traditional occupational topics such as perception of risk, attitudes toward health and safety behaviors, and so on,” said lead investigator, Francisco Soto Mas.

Farmers’ contributions to the community beyond food production and healthier food choices

This information is essential in order to develop initiatives that promote safer practices and healthier farmers. This qualitative inquiry opened the door to a myriad of participants’ perspectives that the investigators were not aware of nor had considered during the planning of the study. “The information the farmers shared was very relevant because it provided reliable data on the many contributions they are making to their communities, and these go way beyond food production and healthier food choices,” said Ryan Sanchez, a student in the Master’s in Public Health Program. While the perceived benefits of organic farming generally relate to health and economics, the study found other valuable individual and collective benefits such

as social network and social capital. The organic movement in the South Valley of Albuquerque has really interconnected small farmers who otherwise may have been working in isolation. Agri-Cultura Network is a good example. Young farmers rely on those who are more experienced for advice and training. The network facilitates the sharing of resources, promotes intellectual development and provides trusted social support. “Studies have shown that the extent and nature of one’s social relationships affect one’s health, and strong networks produce collective benefits,” said Soto Mas. Laura Morris and Christina Brigance, also students in the Master’s in Public Health Program, pointed out that “prior research has related human capital to productivity and economic growth and also to health status, and the results from this study are no different.” The farmers spoke of their concern about the health and safety of their communities and employees and emphasized their focus on this, even above their own welfare. Agriculture is known to sometimes be dangerous work, but the organic farmers who participated in this study did not necessarily see it that way. Instead, these farmers see organic farming as an opportunity to take a more holistic approach to health than merely being physically healthy. They also appreciate the total person concept, which is more consistent with international ideas of health that factor in intellectual, mental, spiritual and social health with physical health. The concept is rooted in the realization that work is a social determinant of health and that communities and

Green Fire Times • October 2016

individuals are greatly impacted by jobrelated factors including workload, wages, stress levels, relationships with coworkers and access to healthy workplaces. Many participants in the study also indicated that they engage in communityoriented activities that promote cultural connections and social justice. These may lead to an increase in community trust, which enhances social capital and ultimately facilitates behaviors that promote health and well-being in that community. In the words of one of the farmers, “With the overall vision of doing all this community organizing work and all this garden work with kids, schools and families, [we want] to be a strong network of people that can then speak out on policy issues… And so, sure, gardening, food and health is our primary concern, but also secondary to that is this more systemic change that we can effect by being a community and by having relationships with one another.” “This illustrates how they feel their role in the community goes beyond producing food for the abstract market,” said Rose Rohrer, a sociology student. Further, many of the organizations supporting local farmers work to blur or erase the boundary between farmer and consumer, engaging in practices that

encourage local participation in food production, such as community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives. These practices are often rooted in social, economic and environmental justice goals. The perspectives identified by the study are consistent with the principles of the organic movement, which include health, ecology, fairness and care. “These particularly emerged when participants were asked questions about organic farming in New Mexico. Despite the hardships of managing organic agriculture operations, what remains strong is the farmer’s passion for providing a healthy commodity that is produced with care for the environment and the people,” said Kristyn Yepa, a student who also runs a community garden project in Jemez Pueblo. “Organic farming is a rapidly growing occupation, experiencing nearly a 250 percent increase since 2002. There are an estimated 19,474 certified organic farmers across the country,”said Scott Oglesbee, another student involved in the project. Although organic farming has become the fastest-growing segment of New Mexico agriculture, there are only 116 certified producers in the state, according to the agricultural census. The USDA oversees a rigorous certification process, including a 36-month embargo on use of land that has been used for inorganic farming.This keeps products quality-controlled but may be a barrier for many farmers seeking to enter the profession. While there is increasing demand for organic products, the point at which market supply meets demand is unknown. Also in need of further research is whether the findings of this small study in central New Mexico apply to the rest of the state and the country. There is very little literature on the health and safety of organic farmers or on the potential collective benefits of organic production. We do know that communities near farms that switch to organic production benefit from a less toxic/polluted environment, and that small organic farmers are contributing to the development of local food systems and healthier food choices. “So, we really need to find ways to encourage more people to consider becoming an organic farmer, and identify the individual, social and policy factors that may facilitate that process,” said Soto Mas. i

This article was produced by the Organic Farming Study research team and the MPH Program Integrative Experience study group at the University of New Mexico, including Francisco Soto Mas, Laura Morris, Kristyn Yepa, Ryan Sánchez, Christina Brigance, Rose Rohrer and Scott Oglesbee.

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Green Fire Times • October 2016

CLOSING the FOOD GAP

Agri-Cultura addresses food insecurity in the South Valley and other food deserts of Albuquerque Katherine Michalske

oseph Alfaro, a farmer at Valle Encantado Farm in the South Valley of Albuquerque, reaches down to pull a bright, orange organic carrot out of the rich, dark earth. Birds chirp as the morning sun warms the air. “There are a lot of elderly living here, and we’re able to bring nutrition right to their front door,” said Alfaro. Valle Encantado is one of nine farms that work together through Agri-Cultura Network to create a healthier food system and positively impact the health of vulnerable families. The collective grows fresh produce and creates access to nutritious foods.

Vendors from Macias Farms at the annual Local Food Festival and Field Day in South Valley.

When families have to stretch money to put food on the table, fresh fruits and veggies are often the first to go.

La Cosecha is one of Agri-Cultura’s programs that provides bags of produce to 310 members, of whom more than 70 percent are subsidized or sponsored. Households get local, pesticide-free produce grown in their neighborhood. “Because the need is so big, we also have allied farms that participate,” said AgriCultura Network’s director, Helga Garza. In 2015, the organization delivered $106,525 worth of produce from New Mexico farmers to the community. About 80 percent was from network members. The rest was from other New Mexico farms. This is money that stays in the state and supports local farmers and the local economy.

Three out of every 20 people in Bernalillo County struggle with hunger and have to choose between paying bills and buying food at some point. According to Feeding America’s 2014 study, more than 104,000 people in Bernalillo County are foodinsecure. That means 15 percent don’t have reliable access to nutritious foods. The South Valley has twice the unemployment rate of the statewide average, at more than 10 percent, according to the 2012 Census.

“Another thing Agri-Cultura Network does is keep the spirit of agriculture alive in the South Valley, where it has a long history rooted in tradition and culture. And it has inspired an educational process that gives people the opportunity to make healthy lifestyle changes when it comes to nutrition,” said Garza.

When families have to stretch their money to put food on the table, fresh fruits and veggies are often the first to go. Per calorie, fats, processed carbohydrates and sweets are significantly cheaper.

Katherine Michalske is pursuing her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at UNM. She works with Agri-Cultura Network to help build h e a l t h y f ood s y s te m s and pr omote healthy communities. Katherine can be contacted at katherine.agricultura@gmail.com

Agri-Cultura Network’s programs get healthy foods into the homes of local residents. The network sells to schools, subsidizes fresh food for low-income

For more information, call 505.217.2461 or find Agr i-Cultura Network on Facebook. i

The Local Food Festival and Field Day is an annual event highlighting regional food and agriculture. This year it is on Oct. 10 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Gutiérrez-Hubbell House, 6029 Isleta SW.

families, brings food to food deserts in collaboration with the Healthy Here Mobile Farmer’s Market, and provides free educational cooking classes and community events.

Green Fire Times • October 2016

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GROWING HEALTH and JUSTICE COALITION

Travis McKenzie

orking with schools and communities to grow healthy, organic food can be a tool for enriching educational environments and increasing student success. The Growing Health and Justice Coalition, formed in 2016, works with schools in the International District and South Valley of Albuquerque. The coalition’s mission is to help create healthy school environments and local food experiences for youth and families. As partners, its unique role is to build relationships and provide opportunities for both increasing technical knowledge and engaging schools and community. The coalition is building upon food procurement initiatives and cultural education taking place in six pilot schools, as well as helping to strengthen school gardens and farm-toschool initiatives across the Albuquerque Public School District.

“We are teaching so much more than just growing fruits and vegetables.” – Principal Jeri Heileman

In conjunction with these demonstration projects, we are advocating policy changes. At Atrisco Heritage Academy, the largest charter high school in the state, the number one issue identified from a survey that went out to hundreds of students and families was hunger. This year,, some students who are a part of the student council worked hard to create Food Justice Awareness Week. With the help of community organizations and former community schools coordinator Sonora Rodríguez, the students created educational activities and opportunities for the students, staff and the community to develop solutions to address hunger in our communities. They organized fun activities during their lunch period, including smoothie bikes, seed murals and music, all of which highlighted these issues. They also took the concept of a TED talk and created JAG talks (the school’s mascot is the jaguar), during which food-justice activists of all ages shared information. The school hopes to create edible landscapes across the campus and possibly a “Student Success Garden,” where students who have to do community service can do more than pick up trash; they can be involved in growing nutritious food for their school and community. We are also working with

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students and administrators to draft a capital outlay proposal to create an Agroecology Learning Center that would weave together agriculture and recreational space. At Van Buren Middle School, in less than four months, 1,500 square feet of new garden space has been planted. With the help of Principal Jeri Heileman and community schools coordinator Silvina Tello, a garden initiative called “Sembrando Jardines”(Sowing Gardens) was rolled out and a theme for the year entitled “We are Van Buren, Growing Together” was created. The school welcomed teachers back by having breakfast in one of the new gardens. This got them thinking about how the garden can be a vehicle for education and positive social change. Having a principal who supports the initiative has been crucial in enabling the school to weave together academic content with hands-on experience in the garden. Principal Heileman said,“We are teaching so much more than just growing fruits and vegetables; we are teaching nurturing, patience, hope, perseverance. Really, it’s about growing a community. When you are working alongside each other with hands in the ground, that’s equity; that’s healing and transformative education.” Kirtland Elementary has been growing its garden initiative for nearly a decade and has touched the lives of hundreds of students and families. Community schools coordinator Maria Márquez said, “The gardens have allowed families to become integral assets for the school. As a result, we have seen an overall increase in scholastic achievement, parental activism and volunteerism. Everyone helps tend the school’s community garden, and that creates a sense of ownership for our families. Our garden now produces food for most of our 272 students and their families. Our teachers are using the garden as part of daily curriculum, and the Kirtland Korner after-school program is engaging students and their families.”

Travis McKenzie instructs community members at a school garden.

The Growing Health and Justice Coalition is helping to create positive social change and to transform our education system. For more information, call 505.331.6390 or email growthefuture@yahoo.com i Travis McKenzie co-founded Lobo Gardens, Project Feed the Hood, Grow the Future and has been part of the New Mexico Acequia Association’s Sembrando Semillas Intergenerational Network. He also farms with Cornelio Candelaria Organics.

Students at Kirtland Elementary School work in the garden.

Green Fire Times • October 2016

2nd Annual! "Eastern Star Harvest High Tea" at the Scottish Rite Center Sunday, October 9, 2016 2:00 PM till 4:00 PM $25 per person For reservations call: 505-983-9508 Or email: jjsnm@att.net

MOBILE FARMERS’ MARKET EXPANDS REACH IN YEAR TWO T he Mobile Far mers’ Market, a Healthy Here initiative, is currently completing a successful second year of operation. In 2015, this “farmers’ market on wheels” provided 659 Albuquerque residents with fresh, affordable, organically grown fruits and vegetables, free healthy food samples, nutrition education and kidfriendly food-preparation Mobile Farmers’ Market in the South Valley activities. T hanks to expanded partnerships and additional locations, as of September 2016, the market had seen an overall 276 percent increase in sales. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, New Mexico has the second-highest rate of food insecurity in the country.The lack of fresh, healthy foods is most apparent in two of Albuquerque’s most populated areas: the urban International District and the rural South Valley. A drive through major streets in both communities reveals an abundance of fastfood restaurants and convenience stores, but a scarcity of healthy food options like farmers’ markets and supermarkets. South Valley residents face the added problem of inadequate public transit. In food deserts like these, it’s not surprising to find high rates of diet-related diseases and obesity. Both communities have the highest mortality rates from heart disease and diabetes in Bernalillo County, as well as the highest rates of obesity among school-aged children and Native American, African American and Hispanic/Latino residents.

Lights, Soil, Action!

Each week, the van travels to six locations in these areas. It is making a positive impact by providing fresh fruits and vegetables from farms in the South Valley and other local areas. The project represents an innovative system that supports local cooperatives where farmers are paid full price for their produce. Sponsors offer subsidies so that prices are maintained at wholesale rates. The market accepts EBT from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, including Double-Up Food Bucks, which allows individuals to get 50 percent off their purchase); Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and senior checks.

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Because four of the six Mobile Farmers’ Market sites are health clinics, healthcare providers are not only able to talk to patients about the importance of healthy foods during office visits; they candirectthemtothemarket,wheretheycanconvenientlypurchaseproduceandsamplerecipes. The mobile market was borne of a community partnership that includes Presbyterian Healthcare Services, the Bernalillo County Community Health Council, Bernalillo County, Adelante, Agri-Cultura Network, Kids Cook! and Street Food Institute. The project was developed through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) award. For the coming year, the Mobile Farmers’ Market will continue to increase access to nutritious food among low-income residents and will work to build community involvement, leadership development and food security. Increasing the number of local farmers will increase the overall supply of locally grown produce. Finally, there will be an effort to strengthen linkages among agricultural, entrepreneurial and health and human service sectors to create a vibrant local food economy within food deserts. By making healthy food options more accessible, individuals and families in Albuquerque are more likely to be able to lead happy and healthier lives. For more information, visit bchealthcouncil.org/ healthy-here

Lucy Waruingi

Special Quivira Conference Fundraiser on November 9 featuring: Dr. Temple Grandin Register at Quiviracoalition.org

Green Fire Times •

October 2016

Mobile Farmers’ Market van

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HEALTHY FOOD is KEY to IMPROVING HEALTH Leigh Caswell

Presbyterian Healthcare Services, a notfor-profit healthcare system that has cared for New Mexicans since 1908, operates from the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to be healthy and live in thriving communities. Presbyterian has become increasingly aware that caring for the health of patients extends far beyond the walls of a hospital or clinic. From supporting mobile farmers’ markets to offering free meals to children at hospitals in Albuquerque, Socorro and Clovis, Presbyterian supports programs across New Mexico that address the need for healthy food.

include purchasing meat and poultry raised without non-therapeutic antibiotics. Presbyterian has also transitioned to rBGH-free milk. For employees, there are healthier vending machine options, incentives for buying food from in-house salad bars and a complimentary fruit program. In 2015, 14,916 pieces of fruit were supplied at Presbyterian. According to Feeding America, in New Mexico more than 17 percent of residents do not have access to adequate food to ensure go o d n u t r i t i on . Fo r Presbyterian, addressing food insecurity means supporting organizations working at a grassroots level, like funding a demonstration kitchen at Roadrunner Food Bank as part of their Healthy Food Center, which provides healthy food for patients referred by medical providers for food insecurity, or subsidizing Agri-Cultura Network’s La Cosecha Community-Supported Agriculture project, which provides low-income families with a weekly supply of locally grown, organic produce.

Healthcare systems need to be part of the solution.

In support of its mission and as part of a requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Presbyterian focuses on three core community health priorities—healthy eating, active living and prevention of unhealthy substance use. Those areas of focus were chosen based on input gathered during community health needs assessments in 10 New Mexico counties in 2013 and 2016. In 2015, Presbyterian signed the Healthy Food in Health Care pledge, a program of Health Care Without Harm. The pledge represents a system-wide approach that addresses the well-being of patients, staff and community members. For example, through its main food supplier, US Foods, product standards have been added that

Cooking demonstration at Romero Farms' booth at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

The connections between healthy food and healthy communities are clear. To truly improve health in communities, healthcare systems need to be part of the solution. i Leigh Caswell is director of Presbyterian Healthcare Ser vices’ Center for Community Health.

ood is key to a healthy life and an important economic driver to support a healthy community.

Healthy Foods initiative at Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico

CON ALMA HEALTH FOUNDATION INITIATIVES

lace matters. Ethnicity matters. Status matters. Health equity is about ensuring that everyone has an equal chance to live a healthy life regardless of income, ethnicity or zip code. Increasingly, philanthropy and other stakeholders involved in health are developing a better understanding about the correlation between poverty and good health and the importance of prevention nutrition and food systems’relationship to health and wellness.Con Alma Health Foundation www.conalma.org, the state’s largest foundation dedicated solely to health, brings together people from different sectors to discuss viable solutions to New Mexico’s health challenges and inform policy makers. Con Alma also awards annual grants to nonprofits that are working to improve health and wellness in their communities, providing support for organizations such as El Valle Women’s Collaborative and the New Mexico Acequia Association that teach youth about local agriculture and cultural traditions. Con Alma also partners with nonprofits like Earth Care International and the Boys and Girls Club, which teach children how to develop healthy habits. Farm

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to Table-New Mexico and New Mexico Voices for Children focus on other effective strategies, such as promoting policies that help people access healthy food. Bernalillo County Place Matters has conducted culturally appropriate land-use training workshops that explain how community members can effectively participate in land-use decisions that impact their health. Con Alma is soliciting nominees until Oct. 7 for its eighth annual Hero of Health award, given to individuals who make a significant difference in the health of their community. The heroes can come from any field, including health care providers, policymakers, advocates, clinicians, administrators and volunteers who give of their time to address unmet health needs in New Mexico. To nominate someone, send a brief description of why you consider the person a hero to staff@conalma.org or visit conalma.org i Deborah Busemeyer is a communications consultant for Con Alma Health Foundation.

Deborah Busemeyer

Chile Fest at the Española Farmers’ Market on Labor Day

Green Fire Times • October 2016

LA FAMILIA MEDICAL CENTER’S HEALTHY C.E.N.A. PROGRAM Community, Exercise, Nutrition, Action

PhotoS taKEn by c.E.n.a. Pati P EntS and thEiR familiES

utritious food and an active lifestyle support good health, help prevent disease and can lead to healthier, happier lives. With increased knowledge, skills and confidence, people can sustain healthy habits. In Santa Fe, La Familia Medical Center’s Healthy C.E.N.A. Program supports young people and their families in making healthy lifestyle changes focused on diet and exercise. C.E.N.A. (“dinner” in Spanish) stands for community, exercise, nutrition and action. Comida nutritiva y una vida activa contribuyen a la buena salud, ayudan a prevenir enfermedades y conducen a una vida más saludable y feliz. Valiéndonos de nuevos conocimientos, habilidades y confianza en uno mismo, cualquiera puede sostener hábitos saludables. En Santa Fe el Programa de C.E.N.A. Saludable patrocinado por el Centro Médico La Familia apoya a jóvenes y a sus familias en llevar a cabo cambios saludables en cuestiones de dieta y ejercicio. La sigla C.E.N.A. además de inferir la comida importante que es la cena, abarca los conceptos de comunidad, ejercicio, nutrición y acción. What changes would we like to see in our community that would support those habits? Four families participated in a photography class and used their newly learned skills to document their experiences in the C.E.N.A. program. They also turned their lenses on the community and asked, “Why is it difficult to enact lessons learned in the program where we live, work and play? ¿Qué cambios nos gustaría ver en nuestra comunidad que apoyen estos mismos hábitos? Cuatro familias participaron en una clase de fotografía e utilizaron sus habilidades recientemente aprendidas para documentar sus experiencias en el Programa C.E.N.A. Al dirigir sus lentes hacia la comunidad, también plantearon la pregunta << ¿Por qué es tan difícil llevar a cabo en el lugar donde vivimos, jugamos y trabajamos, las lecciones que acabamos de aprender? i

“For me, health means: eating naturally, organic foods and exercising.” — Jazmin

Green Fire Times •

October 2016

“We are spokespeople for something. We could speak with our families and our friends to see if they can help us spread the word.” — Sandra

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Green Fire Times •

October 2016

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NEW MEXICO CELEBRATES FARM to SCHOOL MONTH

Pam Roy

ctober is National Farm to School month and New Mexico has much to celebrate. Throughout the state there are hundreds of school gardens and programs that help children learn and appreciate the world of gardening and food preparation. In addition, school districts are excited to add New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables such as melons, apples, tomatoes, bell peppers and salad greens to their school meals. Summer has been in full swing with a plethora of New Mexico-grown fruits and vegetables, sweet alfalfa and high mountain grass hay for livestock. Summer rains and winter snows replenished our rivers and streams to feed acequias and waterways to our crops. New Mexico’s schools are purchasing our locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables while farmers’ markets are experiencing one of the best fruit seasons in years. Record-breaking heat never seems to diminish the spirits of our farmers as they cultivate crops in hopes for a bountiful harvest and market opportunities. With a mind for diversifying their business, the Wagner family of Corrales has in recent years expanded their operation to sell to schools so that children benefit from the freshest locally grown crops. Besides their roadside stand and café, selling at farmers’ markets and to stores, they open their farm

integrated, year-round New Mexico Grown Program. This program will go beyond the school environment, as it will create a roadmap for market access and economic growth for fruit and vegetable farmers. This seems lofty, yet there are many intersections that need to be expanded or developed to create a coordinated regional system that connects farmers with aggregation facilities and distribution, while managing sales, promotion and education programs— referred to as a “supply chain” or “value chain.” Students try food grown on local farms during the Kids Cook! program. to educational trainings such as the recent New Mexico Farm to Cafeteria tour that focused on farm and food safety for farmers and school food service directors. Wagner Farms then tops off the season with its fall harvest festival, open to the public Oct. 7 and 8. Anthony Wagner was the recent recipient of the First Annual Farm Schools Farmers of the Year award, along with Danny Farrar, owner of Rancho La Jolla, a 10-acre farm in Velarde. Wagner Farms and many other diversified operations in New Mexico are working hard to keep farming a viable business in this state. Yet to build business, farmers, ranchers and communities alike need support through traditional and innovative

programs. In recent months a broad group of stakeholders came together to focus on the growth of the New Mexico Fruits and Vegetables for Schools Meals Program, which has been expanding over the last several years. Out of these efforts, a fiveyear strategic plan was developed, called the “New Mexico Grown Program.” The goal of the this initiative is to create a permanent and comprehensive Farm to School and Cafeteria program that integrates a) Results-Based Accountability, b) Values-Driven Public Policy, c) Integrated Community Wellness, d) Coordinated Infrastructure, and e) Asset-Based Development. The overall goal is a fully

“Integration” also means creating school programs that connect classroom education to real-world experiences with growing and preparing food. The vision is to incorporate food and gardening into core curriculum and classroom activities such as school gardens and programs like “cooking with Kids” and Kids Cook,” nutrition education, and “family and consumer education” programs in classrooms, then further tie these programs with schools meals experiences. Through state legislated funds, schools are purchasing New Mexico grown produce for their school meal programs —a win-win for the student, the schools and farmers. i To learn more about the “New Mexico Grown Program” contact Farm to Table at 505.660.8403 and info@farmtotablenm.org

CELEBRATING HEALTHY KIDS and HEALTHY COMMUNITIES in NEW MEXICO

anna mullEn

ver y October, thousands of schools, farmers and communities around the nation celebrate a movement that ’s connecting kids to fresh, healthy food while supporting local economies. From New Mexico to Vermont, through food education, school gardens and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients, people are recognizing the power of the farm-to-school movement to benefit people, planet and profit. The National Farm to School Network is an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing and food and agriculture education into schools, early-care and education settings. Farm to School Month was brought to life by Congress in 2010 to raise awareness of the importance of this initiative as a means to improve children’s nutrition and educate communities about the origins of their food. According to the USDA 2015 Farm to School Census, 34 percent of New Mexico school districts participate in farm-toschool activities. That’s 40 districts with

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Miguel Santistevan leads students on a planting experience in Taos. 505 schools and 263,767 students eating local food in school meals, digging into school gardens and learning about food, agriculture and nutrition. Another 16 percent of districts report that they plan to start farm-to-school activities. During the 2013-2014 school year, New Mexico schools purchased $801,200

worth of local products from New Mexico farmers, ranchers and other food producers. As demand for New Mexico-grown produce in schools grows, so do farmers’ incomes, along with children’s overall health and academic performance. That’s worth celebrating. National Farm to School Month is an

opportunity to plan new farm-to-school activities, organize a celebration of current efforts or initiate a new partnership. Whatever you do this month, take a moment to appreciate where your food comes from, thank a farmer, and consider the more than 23.5 million students nationwide who are engaging with local food through taste tests, connecting with their community on farm field trips, and growing up to become a generation of informed, healthy eaters. To find resources and ideas for getting involved, visit farmtoschool.org i Anna Mullen is the National Farm to School Network’s digital media associate.

Green Fire Times •

October 2016

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Santa Fe Farmers Market ÂŠ Anna Christine Hansen

James H. Auerbach, MD and Staff support Green Fire Times in its efforts to bring about a better world by focusing on the people, enterprises and initiatives that are transforming New Mexico into a diverse and sustainable economy. SoMe oF THe TopicS GreeN Fire TiMeS SHowcASeS: Green: uilding, products, Services, entrepreneurship, investing and Jobs; renewable energy, Sustainable Agriculture, regional cuisine, ecotourism, climate Adaptation, Natural resource Stewardship, Arts & culture, Health & wellness, regional History, community Development, educational opportunities James H. Auerbach, MD provides dermatology services in Santa Fe, NM (Sorry, we are no longer accepting new clients.)

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KIDS COOK! — CELEBRATING 15 YEARS

maRy R mEyER Ry y yER

At family night, everyone has a job.

ids Cook! is celebrating 15 years of assisting schools and communities in New Mexico in learning about healthy lifestyles. Kids Cook! has brought multicultural, hands-on cooking, nutrition education and physical activity programs to more than 40,000 low-income elementary and middleschool students and their families in the Albuquerque metropolitan area.

There is no substitute for hands-on experiences to help students and families adopt healthier lifestyles.

The nonprofit progr am’s par tners have inc luded dedic ated teachers, pr incipals and families who have worked in close collaboration with Kid ’s Cook’s staff. The goal is to encour age families to impro ve or adopt healthy lifestyles through the introduction of new, local and diverse foods and food preparation, along with learning to enjoy an active lifestyle. The integrated, hands-on curriculum employs interdisciplinary learning that encompasses lessons in nutrition, science, art, social studies, mathematics, language arts and music. Kids Cook! creates saf e and fun environments where students explore food and culinary techniques. Students evaluate

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Every Kids Cook! class includes 10 minutes of physical activity. what they like, and record and share their preferences. Healthy cooking, eating and physical activities are part of every class. Students and their families are offered support in bringing similar activities into their homes. From 2001 to 2015, the primary funding source for the Kids Cook! came from U.S. Department of Agriculture education funds. The State of New Mexico has redirected these funds to other education programs. Kids Cook! has participated in some of the state’s new programming ideas. However, based on Kids Cook’s experience and research, conducted nationally and in New Mexico, it is clear that there is no substitute for hands-on experiences to help students and families adopt healthier lifestyles. Consequently, to help meet its goals, Kids Cook! has adopted a social entrepreneurship business model that combines the passion of the organization’s social mission with businesslike discipline, innovation and determination.

Kids Cook’s new initiatives include:

1. The new Kids Cook! Community Health Worker (CHW) model, funded by Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS), which combines classroom wellness activities, family group activities and individualized support for families. 2. F Fūdrr — a new healthy lifestyle app, also funded by PHS, which will encourage New Mexicans to post photos and videos of their healthy-eating and active-living activities. Participants will earn points that can be used to buy fresh produce

from local retailers. 3. Let’s Cook! a new, four-class series for adults and families, which explores how past experiences influence current eating habits and which creates new positive food experiences with fresh, affordable foods. 4. Our Farmer’s Market cooking classes brings cooking experiences to South Valley and International District residents that buy fresh produce at the Healthy Here Mobile Farmers' Market. 5. O u r i n n o v a t i v e s u b s t i t u t e teacher wellness Every student, kindergarten through sixth grade, learns initiative will safe knife skills. tr ain exper ienced substitute teachers to facilitate Kids Cook! cooking with our partners to serve as many stumodules in their classrooms. This dents and families as possible! initiative will improve the quality of substitute-teacher day curriculum For more information, w h i l e t e ac h i n g s t u d e n t s a b o u t call 505.821.6025, healthy lifestyles. email mary.meyer@ kidscook.us or visit The evidence is clear: When children and www.kidscook.us/ i families work together in the kitchen to create healthy meals, the entire family Mary Meyer is the benefits and students outcomes improve. executive director of We look forward to continue working Kids Cook!

Green Fire Times •

October 2016

FOODCORPS—NEW MEXICO

Leiloni Begaye

ello my family and relatives. My name is Leiloni Begaye. I am from the Coyote Pass Jemez clan. I am born for the Water Flow Together clan. My maternal grandfather is from the Red Running into the Water clan. My paternal grandfather is from the Red Bottom clan. This is how I present myself as a Diné (Navajo) woman. I am from the Navajo Reservation in Greasewood Springs, Arizona. In 2015 I served with FoodCorps at La Semilla Food Center in Anthony, N.M., and currently I am in the second year as a FoodCorps-NM Fellow, based in Albuquerque.

FoodCorps-NM is a state partner with the UNM Community Engagement Center and Farm to Table-NM. That leads me to this: Have you ever crossed paths with a visitor who says, “What can grow in New Mexico? It is dry, hot and desert.” If you think about it, New Mexico’s ecosystem is actually very diverse. New Mexico truly is the Land of Enchantment. You may ask, “How does this relate to FoodCorps-NM?” FoodCorps-NM has been dedicated to equipping our community partners with the skills, knowledge and experiences to address root causes of food injustice, while also providing hands-on training and technical assistance to communities engaged in farm-to-school work.   The FoodCorps-NM program is a state partner with the UNM Community Engagement Center and Farm to Table-NM. Both are nonprofit educational organizations working collaboratively to manage and direct the state FoodCorps program. The Community Engagement Center provides expertise in social justice perspectives, community capacity-building, civic engagement and leadership development.

Cultivating at the Pueblo of San Ildefonso Farm to Table provides expertise in promoting locally based agriculture through education, community outreach and networking, food and nutrition policy development and social enterprise facilitation.   Community partners are essential to the program at the local level. Each organization is dynamic, community-led and -owned, and sets the foundation for its FoodCorps service members, who serve at places such as La Semilla Food Center in the Paso del Norte region, La Plazita Institute in the South Valley of Albuquerque or John Hopkins Center for American Indian Health at Santo Domingo Pueblo. In my time with FoodCorps, I’ve seen each cohort bring a wealth of knowledge and a sense of identity. In this Program Year 2017, the New Mexico cohort is even more diverse. I say this with great respect because they are all serving the communities where they reside. These 10 service members are on the ground, creating positive change and impacting their communities one step at a time. This takes me back to tradition, culture and language. Implementing tradition is a way for students to connect to Mother Earth, Father Sky, Grandfather Fire and Grandmother Medicine and Moon. Through languages such as Diné and Spanish, the FoodCorps-NM team is able to intentionally and strategically design the program around diversity. Culture understands how to undo racism

Green Fire Times • October 2016

My traditional upbringing instilled in me a great appreciation for my tradition, culture and language. I was constantly taught to take care of Mother Earth and that in return, she’ll take care of me. I witnessed my elders utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge in ceremonies. There is a story and teaching behind every ceremony. As a Diné woman who is inspired not only by my children, but also by my elders and parents, my sincere passion is to teach and inform my community how to become sustainable through food sovereignty and to take ownership of our health.

Traditional varieties of corn and beans grown in New Mexico were exhibited by Red Mesa Cuisine at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture’s Community Day Celebration in Santa Fe on Sept. 25. and discuss history and context in a manner that is appropriate to address and identify. Paul Soto and Anthony Shemayme will be serving in a detention facility with detained youth, utilizing connection and tradition to mentor the youth. Ryan Dennison from Dinétah and Anahi-Mena Hernandez from México will implement language in a way that creates identity and individuality. Mallory Garcia is serving with the Albuquerque School District, the second largest in the country.That district has eight school gardens. Stefany Olivas and Brandy Montaño, serving

with SouthWest Organizing Project, will be teaching students in Albuquerque’s International District how to start gardens in schools and gardening’s relationship to the realization of gender and racial equality. As a statewide network, FoodCorps-NM members reached 3,090 children, worked on 29 garden projects, harvested 2,346.5 pounds of produce and worked with 416 community volunteers in Program Year 2016. i

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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 supported the struggles of local people to empower themselves, with particular attention to water and land use. AFSC New Mexico promotes economic viability by training small farmers in sustainable agriculture, thereby providing affordable healthy food, protecting land and water rights, and upholding traditional cultural practices.

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Green Fire Times â&#x20AC;˘ October 2016

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CELEBRATING WORLD FOOD DAY IN NEW MEXICO Tony McCarty

ore than 124,000 people in northern New Mexico don’t have enough to eat. Chances are, you probably know someone who goes without enough food, whether you realize it or not.

Here in northern New Mexico, World Food Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the unique culture and agricultural traditions of our communities by focusing on how we grow food, how we get food and how we learn about food. It’s also an opportunity to recognize those who produce food and those who help others access food and work to end hunger in their communities. Nutritious food can be expensive, making a balanced diet a luxury for many. Job loss, a family tragedy, poor health or an accident can make anyone anywhere go hungry in a moment. As rising temperatures, more frequent and extended drought and flooding remind us, extreme climate events are making the need to change food production and agricultural practices more and more urgent. And it’s not just changes in climates that impact access to food. Even a financial crisis can dramatically affect people’s ability to feed themselves and their family. Without social safety nets, resiliency measures and good public policies, seemingly small events can set off a cycle of hunger and poverty.

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L-R: Margaret García and Miranda Romero after a harvest of the Parr Field Garden Project in Taos, New Mexico. The fresh snap beans were blanched and frozen in a workshop led by García. She later showed students how to cook the beans and other harvested foods for the annual Thanksgiving feast at Chrysalis High School. Hunger doesn’t just affect vulnerable people. All of us bear the cost. One in three people admitted to the hospital are malnourished. The care they receive takes longer and is less effective than if they had had enough to eat. Their care costs more. Hungry people also tend to have learning difficulties, are less productive at work, are sick more often and live shorter lives. Ending hunger is not just a moral imperative; it’s a good economic investment. It takes a lot of energy to produce the food we see in the grocery store, and a large amount of greenhouse gases are released in the process. But the worst thing is that more than one-third of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted. Wasted food means wasted money, labor and precious natural resources that go into producing the food. By simply saving leftovers, freezing portions of food, planning meals, buying only what you need, and even buying “ugly” fruits and vegetables (the ones that aren’t pretty but are still good to eat), we each can reduce the effects of food production on the climate.

World Food Day is also an opportunity to learn how you can get involved in strengthening your c o m m u n i t y ’s f o o d system because everyone has the right to be free from hunger. In S a n t a Fe , a f e w o f the many volunteer opportunities available inc lude Bienvenidos Outreach (bienvenidosfoodpantry.org), Kitchen Angels (kitchenangels.org) and The Food Depot (thefooddepot. org). In Taos, the local farmers’ market has a program making fresh produce available to low-income families (farmersmarketsnm.org). In fact, just about every community has a farmers’ market, and those markets participate in a variety of programs to extend access to fresh, locally grown produce. If volunteering isn’t a possibility, World Food Day organizers have created a list of actions individuals can take to help minimize their impact on the climate: www.fao.org/world-food-day/2016/ climate-actions/en i

Learn how you can get involved in strengthening your community’s food system.

But you can help change that! October 16 is World Food Day, a day that is celebrated in more than 150 countries to promote awareness of the importance of food security and the need to make nutr itious food available to those who suffer from hunger. World Food Day is the birthday of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This year’s theme is, “The climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.”

Varieties of potatoes and heirloom squash for sale at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

Tony McCarty, executive director of Kitchen Angels, led the capital campaign to build the Coll-Green Angel Depot, a facility devoted to ending hunger in New Mexico. He also co-chaired the committee that established the City & County of Santa Fe Advisory Council on Food Policy.

Green Fire Times • October 2016

FOOD POLICY AMNESIA

Mark Winne

“I am quite sure that people only have the kind of government that their bellies crave.” – From Paterson by William Carlos Williams

“F

lorida Lawns Are Being Transformed into Edible Farms,” gushed the Huffington Post story ( June 1) that described how a dozen Orlando, Florida, homeowners had converted their manicured yards into tidy vegetable patches. The story explained how suburban sod had given way to salads planted and tended by a project called Fleet Farming. Homeowners mothballed

their lawnmowers while getting a cut of the greens from their yards; earnest gardener volunteers had an outlet for their horticultural energy; and Fleet sold most of the food at farmers’ markets, returning the proceeds to finance future gardens. Great idea, I thought, but why did it sound so familiar? Then I remembered I had read about a homeowner in Orlando who had been fined by the city for degrading that most sacred of American institutions, the front yard, by ripping out his grass and planting a 25-by-25-foot vegetable garden.

As reported in The New York Times (“The Battlefront in the Front Yard,” Dec. 19, 2012), one Jason Helvenston was apparently in violation of section 60.207 of Orlando’s Land Development Code (not maintaining proper ground cover). He had gotten away with this vile deed for several months when a neighbor decided to bust him. Since the Huffington Post made no reference to Mr. Helvenston or any history prior to Fleet Farming, I wondered: What had transpired over three-and-a-half years to transform Orlando from a veritable Sodom and Gomorrah of home landscaping into a Garden of Eden?

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Mary-Stewart Droege is a planner for the City of Orlando. I asked her why an activity that was previously illegal had found expression as a full-fledged and legally “out-there” program. “The updated Landscape Code ordinance that addressed front yard gardens came out of this (Helvenston) episode,” she told me. It’s this ordinance that explicitly allows home food production and cleared the way for Fleet Farming. Droege went on to say, “We just submitted a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant application to expand Fleet Farming into a low-moderate (income) community as part of a CSA (community supported agriculture) model and to add more farmers’ markets.”

Socially minded private entrepreneurship watered by good public policy leads to prosperity for all.

Orlando, like other cities, didn’t stop with efforts to revise outdated ordinances that had placed turf before turnips. Droege said a chicken ordinance is poised to pass, fashioned after similar regulations that now treat microbreweries and small-scale food processing as home occupations. If you haven’t figured it out yet, the point of this little Orlando food history is to reassert the primacy of public policy in allowing good and creative food projects to take wing. Either the Huff ington Post ran out of room or they simply didn’t get it. Cool stuff like Fleet Farming doesn’t just spring forth fully formed without a considerable amount of skid-greasing from city hall, usually aided and abetted by savvy food advocates and planners, and sometimes food revolutionaries like Jason Helvenston. Here in New Mexico, cities and counties have partnered with local food policy councils and community organizations to consider programs and policies focused on local food security and preserving farming and ranching. The Santa Fe Food Policy Council and the city and county are working on robust urban agriculture and county agriculture revitalization policies, while the City of Las Cruces just passed its first-ever urban agriculture ordinance. One would never know how important policy was, strolling through the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market on a clear, sweet Saturday morning. But the fact is that the health, vigor and happiness so abundantly on display were purchased with the blood of a thousand policy skirmishes. Most were

Green Fire Times • October 2016

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small and never saw the light of day. They were paper cuts that came in the form of a steady stream of city and state inspectors and bureaucrats hell-bent on shutting the market down with petty interpretations of regulations. Farmers’ market organizers were chased annually from one junk-strewn dirt lot to the next by over-eager developers and public authorities. When the city and private foundations finally realized that the market could be as big a tourist attraction as Georgia O’Keeffe’s erotic flowers, they raised the money to build what became a gorgeous market shed at the old railyard. Socially minded private entrepreneurship watered by good public policy leads to prosperity for all. As thousands of food projects across the country began to soar, public policy actors who had once been foes were reborn as friends. In New Mexico’s case, Farm to Table and partnering agencies and organizations organized the N.M. Food and Agriculture Policy Council to focus on intersections among health, food, farming and the economy through state and federal public policy. This helped engage public policy makers in investing in an array of programs such as farmers’ market nutrition programs and farmto-school initiatives. Once these officials recognized that farmers’ markets provide multiple benefits, funding by the New Mexico Legislature supported a robust Double-Up Food Bucks program for the state’s farmers, markets. And continuing the policy progression from local to state to federal, the New Mexico Association of Farmers’ Markets further enhanced the experience with a multi-year, multi-million dollar federal Food Insecurity Nutrition Initiative (FINI) grant. Just to be clear, a federal program, often administered by a state agency, can benefit more people with healthier food and provide additional farm income when city food policy kicks in. Yes, making these connections, doing the research and advocating for changes can be difficult, complex work— “transparency” and “government” are not necessarily synonymous. So when local food coalitions and councils tell me they don’t want to do food policy work, I can understand their frustration. That is when I urge them not to forget the food movement’s history or dismiss the critical role public policy plays, particularly at local and state levels. “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it,” is the quote famously ascribed to Edmund Burke. I would add that those who don’t even know that history exists are doomed to ride stationary bicycles going nowhere. i Mark W inne, a Santa Fe resident, co-chairs the Santa Fe Fo o d Po l i c y Council. He is also a senior advisor at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

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BOOK PROFILE

BUILDING a HEALTHY ECONOMY fRom thE BOTTOM UP: HARNESSING REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE foR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE By Anthony Flaccavento; University Press of Kentucky Forward by Bill McKibben

n his new book, Building a Healthy Economy f rom the Bottom Up: Harnessing Real-World Experience for Transformative Change, Anthony Flaccavento highlights the work of people, organizations and communities that are moving toward economic sustainability and creating healthy, localized economic, agricultural and financial infrastructure. As the major media continue to focus on “what’s wrong” nationally and internationally, F laccavento writes about successes that are happening all over—from the upper Midwest to southern Appalachia and from the desert Southwest to the Eastern seaboard. He has worked with Farm to Table-New Mexico, La Montañita Co-op and others in the state. He cites La Montañita Co-op’s impressive strides as a food hub, and its micro-loan fund are noted as examples of “community capitalization” and community-supported resilience.

Flaccavento, an organic farmer from Virginia, is also the author of Healthy Food Systems: A Toolkit for Building Value Chains.. He has published articles on sustainability and rural development in the Washington Post, the Huff ington Post and Solutions Journal. He is president of SCALE, Inc. (Sequestering Carbon, Accelerating L ocal Economies), a private consulting business. Building a Healthy Economy from the Bottom Up touches on agriculture, urban and rural connections, personal finances, economic policy and even the arts. While it offers a clear-eyed, positive portrayal of change throughout the country, it also is an articulate indictment of the larger political and economic structures that keep these forward leaps from turning into a nationwide movement. To counter those problems, however,

Flaccavento offers a number of options for people interested in making change in their personal lives, communities, and at political and policy levels. For those wanting to go deeper and learn more, there is a “Further Reading” section at the end of each chapter. i Building a Healthy Economy f rom the Bottom Up is an invaluable guidebook. Fo r f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t www.bottomupeconomy.org

NEW MEXICO FOOD and AGRICULTURE EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS Anthony Flaccavento Book Launch Delicious NM, Farm to Table, NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council and NM Grown Steering Committee are hosting a series of events in conjunction with farmer and business entrepreneur Anthony Flaccavento’s book launch. Building a Healthy Economy from the Bottom Up: Harnessing Real World Experience for Transformative Change features three dozen local economy and healthy food system initiatives from around the nation. Oct. 5, 12–2 pm

Santa Fe Food Policy Council SF County Building, 102 Grant Ave., County Commissioners Chamber, 2nd floor Food Production and Land Use Meeting. Overview of the county’s Agriculture and Ranch Implementation Plan and the City of Santa Fe’s Urban Agriculture Ordinance. Special presentation by Anthony Flaccavento followed by questions and discussion. Open to the public.

Oct. 6, 2:30–4:30 pm

Regional Food and Farm Systems ABQ Chamber of Commerce Board Room, 115 Gold Ave. SW, Ste. 201 Brief presentation and roundtable discussion about the NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council’s priority initiative, the NM Grown Program, updates on upcoming events and presentations to the NM Legislature, presentation by Anthony Flaccavento followed by questions and discussion. Space limited. RSVP required: 505.660.8403.

Oct. 7, 8 am–3:30 pm

The Social Determinants of Health Summit UNM Student Union Ballroom, ABQ National and local speakers. $75. www.healthycommunitesforum.com/

OTHER EVENTS

New Mexico Organic Industry Funding Discussions Presented by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture 575.646.3702

Oct. 6, 1–3 pm

NMDA Conference Room 3190 So. Espina St., Las Cruces (Oct. 6 webcast: http://nmsu. adobeconnect.com/organiccommmeeting/)

Oct. 10, 3–5 pm

Roosevelt County Extension Office, 705 E. Lime St.

Oct. 11, 1–3 pm

Bernalillo County Extension Office 1510 Menaul Blvd. NW

Nov. 2, 2:45–4:15 pm

NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council and NM Farmers’ Marketing Association NM State Capitol, Santa Fe Presentation to the NM Economic and Rural Development Legislative Interim Committee about NM Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for School Meals and NM Farmers’ Markets Double Up Food Bucks. Open to the public. Info: 505.660.8403, pam@farmtotablenm.org or www.nmlegis.gov

Feb. 20, 2017, 9 am

2017 NM Food and Farm Day at the New Mexico Legislature NM State Capitol Rotunda, Santa Fe 2nd annual Farm to School Awards. NM Farmers’ Markets and other groups to present. Info: 505.660.8403, pam@farmtotablenm.org

Oct. 11: 5–7 pm

SF County Extension Office 3229 Rodeo Rd.

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October 2016

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October 2016

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SACRED SPACE

Pollinator Garden, River Restoration and Elm Tree Harvesting Article and Photos by Sylvia Ernestina Vergara

artnerships can enhance approaches to farming as a sacred space. I would like to share my experience of land stewardship through a unique collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (Partners Program). This partnership enhanced my education and state of discovery. Through experiencing the day-to-day drama of agriculture and living close to and with nature, a new sense of stability and sustenance for my farm and habitat began to manifest. Evolving Farm and Habitat through Innovative Land Management I was having a serious problem with an overwhelming growth of Siberian elms (Ulmus pumila), a prolific nonnative plant that grows throughout New Mexico. With so many elms on my land, I felt I would not be able to farm. Also, I was having a serious problem with beavers chewing down the cottonwood trees in the bosque along the Río Embudo. I heard Dr. Maceo Martinet give a talk about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, and I knew that this program was the right one for me. It offers multiple opportunities to work with nature in a balanced way that includes the installation of a pollinator garden, invasive species removal, riverbank restoration and habitat enhancement. I learned through discussions with Dr. Martinet that native pollinators encompassed a large group of domestic and wild insects. I was amazed to learn that, for the most part, wild bees don’t sting. They also can be much smaller than domestic bees and survive in different types of habitats. Education and Networking At various lectures and workshops in Peñasco, Velarde and Los Lunas, I listened to talks by farmers, naturalists and scientists, and I saw examples, demonstrations and documentaries concerning pollinator insects, pollinator plants and habitats. An interesting learning session in Velarde included real examples of how to protect trees and avoid continued riverbank damage from beavers. I started to see the land with new eyes. It was the first time I noticed small holes in the sand and realized these were nests for pollinator bees. Through these learning experiences, I started to change my general understanding and concept of the world of pollinators and open up a new recognition and appreciation of the natural world. I also felt a renewed respect for the food chain as an indicator of balance on the farm. I started to open up to the possibility that the beavers and I could somehow manage to co-exist, and, better yet, maybe I could learn from them about nature and the river. Bosque Cottonwood Tree Planting and Protection Through this project, I was able to plant cottonwood trees and other riparian trees

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and shrubs within the bosque along the Embudo River. Each was planted and then encased and staked in heavy protective 5-foot fencing. Pollinators Are our Friends Pollinator gardens comprise three elements: water, nectar from plants, and a pollinator hotel for insect nesting sites. I renamed the pollinator hotel a santuario, which, in Spanish, means sanctuary. I like the name santuario because it refers to the structure as a safe place for the pollinators to make their temporary homes. Also, because they would all be living together there, it would be more like a pollinator “community.” In addition, the word santuario signifies that the pollinator insects and the spaces they occupy are sacred. It honors their role in nature as being important and beneficial. The materials used to construct the pollinator santuario were adobe bricks, corn stocks, trunks from dead trees, wood framing material, and red cement bricks.These santuarios would be positive, artistic expressions of a community that helps the human world to continue, thrive and, in a very real sense, eat! Scientists say that, if all the pollinators—mostly insects—died out today, humanity would have only a few years of survival left.

Pollinator flowers

A fruit tree in the Pollinator Garden

The “Pollinator Santuario”

The Pollinator Garden Dr. Martinet brought several high school students and a teacher from Albuquerque to help me with the project.These young people came from a program called Querencia Institute, a collaboration of educators and professionals to improve the learning experiences of our youth, especially from low-income communities. During the day, they helped make the adobes, drill holes in the chopped wood trunks, cut the corn stocks and begin the initial assembly of the pollinator santuario. Work breaks were used as times to explain to the students the importance of the pollinator garden to our food supply and sustenance. The students were also shown pictures of other pollinator hotels that were built at other pollinator garden projects.

Students from the Querencia Institute in Albuquerque helped make adobes and assemble the “Pollinator Santuario.”

Students helped to create a special New Mexican lunch, which included biscochitos, tortillas with frijoles and a salad. I enjoyed telling them about my approach to farming using only natural methods, that is, farming without chemicals. Dr. Martinet also spoke about the importance of pollinators. The students had an enjoyable time learning new skills, which we all facilitated along with important farm helper Luís. Thoughts on Invasive Plants We are in a state of climate change, commonly called global warming. My perception is that farmers must remain flexible and creative in their approach to their fellow beings on the land. For example, I no longer see elm trees as my enemy. I CONTINUED ON PAGE 41

Some of the students baked biscochitos while at the farm.

Green Fire Times • October 2016

2016 NORTH AMERICAN BIODYNAMIC CONFERENCE

Tierra Viva: Farming the Living Earth • Nov. 16-20 in Santa Fe Hundreds of farmers, gardeners, educators, activists and earth stewards from across the continent and beyond will gather Nov. 16–20 at the Santa Fe Convention Center for the Biodynamic Association’s 2016 North American Biodynamic Conference. This year’s theme, Tierra Viva: Farming the Living Earth, is intended to illustrate how humanity can create healthy, living, vibrant landscapes and nourishing food. The conference is grounded both in the local culture of New Mexico and in the global culture of biodynamics. Biodynamics is a holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food and nutrition. First developed in the early 1920s by Austrian writer, educator and social activist Rudolf Steiner, the movement has grown to encompass thousands of successful gardens, farms, vineyards and agricultural operations of all kinds and sizes, on all continents, and in a wide variety of ecological and economic settings. Held in a different region of North America every two years, the conference offers a unique opportunity to delve into biodynamic and regenerative agriculture. Three keynote sessions will explore different aspects of the Tierra Viva theme. Ten keynote speakers will present groundbreaking work. More than 50 workshops will explore topics such as Biodynamic Permaculture, Collaborative Farming, Holistic Landscape Ecology, The Spirit of Healing Plants, and Water Resilience on the Farm. There will be workshops that address the community, economic and social justice aspects of growing a healthy food system. Newcomers will find sessions where they can learn the fundamentals. There will also be opportunities to learn about other approaches, such as permaculture, traditional Native American and Aztec farming and holistic management. There is a full schedule of workshops for children ages 5 to 15. The conference programming features a field day at two local farms; hands-on learning opportunities; a celebratory food, wine and cider tasting; film screenings; a seed exchange; mixers, meetups, exhibits and artistic performances. For more information or to register, call 262.649.9212, ext. 2 or visit www.biodynamics.com/conference

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October 2016

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SFCC’S GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

our years ago, when the Greenhouse Management and Operations program was created at Santa Fe Community College, experiential learning was confined to a 26-foot-diameter geodesic-dome greenhouse. While this was sufficient to provide the initial annual cohort of 12 students with many “get your hands wet and dirty”experiences, the current fall 2016 cohort has expanded to 26 students, and SFCC is starting a second cohort in the spring of 2017. (Classes will run in the evenings.) W i t h t h i s i n c re a s e d e n ro l l m e n t , significantly more teaching space is needed to expand production systems and provide quality learning experiences. To meet this need, this fall, SFCC will break ground on a dedicated laboratory that can handle up to 26 students per class and a new greenhouse (nearly 12,000 sq. ft.) to teach Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). Controlled Environment Agriculture is an industry term that refers to methods of agricultural production performed within a structure where environmental factors can be managed. Originally the program was founded to teach Hydroponics and Aquaponics. Both methods grow plants without the use of soil, but Aquaponics integrates the culture of fish as second production crop and the source of nutrients for the plants. Recirculating Aquaculture will be added into the next phase of the program, with the hope of expanding this industry in New Mexico. The new greenhouse will contain four separate production areas, each measuring 22x128

feet: two bays will be devoted to commercial production-scale systems of Hydroponics and Aquaponics; a third bay will be used to teach the new Recirculating Aquaculture facet of the program; and the final greenhouse bay will be used for students to build, operate and experiment with various methods of production. The new facility will also house the SFCC Microgrid program. This will allow students in both programs to learn the intricacies of on-site power generation and how to design and manage systems efficiently to make use of varied energy resources. One primary goal for this integration is to gain a highly detailed view of exactly what resources are needed to run CEA systems and how to design the next generation of systems to increase the efficiency of all aspects of food production and resource utilization.

Groundbreaking Planned for Controlled Environment Agriculture

This expansion will provide SFCC students with state-of-the-art hands-on experiences in Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Recirculating Aquaculture. Simultaneously, they can learn the science and theory behind each of these techniques. Graduates will leave with a Professional Certificate and Associate in Applied Sciences, as well as enough experience with production methods to immediately go out and open their own farms in New Mexico. i

Elms grow fast,producing a hard wood for many harvest possibilities.I used the wood for firewood, fence posts, dead root stumps to control erosion, and a clothesline. I even imagined commercial possibilities for elm wood; it could be shaped into rolling pins for rolling out bread dough, baseball bats, or other implements. The Siberian elm draws water through its roots and emits water vapor through its leaves, creating an important step in the allencompassing hydrologic cycle. Amazingly, in times of drought, it continues to grow green leaves providing shade. Small animals and birds use it as a food source, and birds use it to build nests. It is an effective windbreak and helps to create privacy with its thick foliage. In spring, the tree is early in delivering a food source for wildlife. Additionally, the healing properties of the elm are important. Timothy Lee

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Left and center: Illustrations from a video showing two perspectives of the facility

For more information, call Adam Cohen, lead faculty at Greenhouse Management and Operations: 505.428.1941.

SacREd SPacE continuEd fRom Pag P E 39 started to see the troublesome elms as having diverse potential. I began to recognize them as powerful engines of the hydrologic cycle and allies in countering desertification. During the project, I made a significant number of elms into a renewable, harvestable crop.

SFCC’s commercial production-scale greenhouse facility will also house the school’s microgrid progam.

Scott’s book, Invasive Plant Medicine: The Ecological Benef its and Healing Abilities of Invasives, describes many medicinal uses of the Siberian elm and its related species. Siberian elm is resistant to Dutch elm disease and possibly is an appropriate substitute for the slippery elm (U. rubra or U. fulva), relieving inflamed mucous membranes of the stomach, intestines and lungs, and also kills parasites. According to Scott’s book, there are no known cautions or contraindications and no known herb and drug reactions. Siberian elm is an effective tool against E. coli, Bacillus dysenteria, intestinal worms, cancer and giardia. Siberian elm also removes the following heavy metals from the soil: iron, manganese, aluminum, zinc, lead, nickel, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, copper and toxins—for example, perchlorate—from the earth. Siberian elm provides nectar for bees, and humans have used it as an emergency source of food. Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is said to have the capability to clean environmental carbon dioxide emissions. It has anticancer properties, inhibits HIV-1 and is an antimalarial/antimicrobial.

Observation from the Pollinator Santuario There is much good to say about the thoughtful guidance provided by Dr. Martinet. Other important developments were implementing irrigation for the garden; setting and preparing the large garden area; using a posthole digger for planting trees in the bosque; chipping wood for creating elm tree mulch; using an innovative weed wrench, and introducing a special worm habitat for vermiculture. After our work on the land, we enjoyed a lot of happy activity in the pollinator garden and all over the farm. Learning that wild bees don’t sting made me more comfortable being near and around pollinators. I spent large amounts of time amid the colorful and beautiful flowers, watching the bees. This project has changed my life. I feel more at peace with myself and proud of having tried so hard to make it work. My relationship to my farm has been deepened and become more loving and caring. I thank the Partners Program for providing me with an opportunity to become part of the solution of helping our planet continue to survive in a positive way. It has given

me a wonderful and positive experience of working successfully with a government program. It is an exceptional program, and I would recommend it to anyone. Now I have the feeling that I am really helping my farm become a better place for the future, not only for myself, but for all the animals, plants and soil. The project has helped my overall productivity and given me something positive and important to share with my community. Farming is not a relic of the past; it is an odyssey into the future through partnership with nature. i Sylvia Ernestina Vergara of New Mexico, a member of the New Mexico Acequia Association, farms without chemicals or pesticides in the Dixon/Embudo Valley.She is a composer,photographer,poet, author and research scholar. Dr. Maceo Carrillo Martinet, an ecologist and educator, works on environmental restoration, water conservation and community-based education projects throughout New Mexico. 505.761.4752, Maceo_Martinet@fws.gov

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October 2016

AFSC NEW MEXICO A history of accompanying the people of New Mexico

2047 Tapia SW Albuquerque, NM 505-842-7343 afsc.org/newmexico

Happenings at the

EVENTS IN OCTOBER SANTA FE OPERA PRESENTS: UNSHAKEABLE! Saturday, October 1, and Sunday, October 2 Doors open @ 3pm • Showtime 4-5pm EASTERN STAR HIGH TEA Sunday, October 9 • 2pm – 4pm

Tickets: $25 Limited to 100 Guests. Call 505-983-9508 for reservations.

SANTA FE SCOTTISH RITE REUNION October 13-16 SR Member Event RENESAN 20th ANNIVERSARY GALA Friday, October 28

Preserving working farms and ranches, wildlife habitat, and open space since 1997

THE SCOTTISH RITE PRESENTS: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM MASQUERADE GALA Saturday, October 29 • 5:00pm – 10:30pm Costume Ball/Entertainment/Food/Drinks • $150/single - $250/couple Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/masquerade-ball-a-midsummer-nights-dream-tickets

View our webpage santafesco ishrite.org for calendar and information.

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Events can be scheduled by contacting events@santafesco ishrite.org

or call 505-982-4414

Donations to support the Sco ish Rite Center of Santa Fe as a continuing community resource for all of Northern New Mexico are appreciated.

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Green Fire Times •

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Green Fire Times •

October 2016

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NEWSBITEs 20TH ANNUAL GATHERING 4 MOTHER EARTH OCT. 15–16 • POJOAQUE POWWOW GROUNDS Tewa Women United (TWU), Traditional Native American Far mers Association, Fo u r B r i d g e s Tr a v e l i n g Permaculture Institute, Red Willow Center and Farm, Northern New Mexico Acequia Association, Local Collaborative 18 and Honor Members of the Mother Earth Wellness Collaborative Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE) have formed the Mother Earth Ecological Wellness Collaborative. The collaborative’s intention is to offer education and inspire awareness of issues regarding food and seed sovereignty, environmental violence, violence against women, girls and families, protection of sacred sites, protection of air, lands and waters, and to support sharing of culturally relevant knowledge within communities. The Collaborative is organizing the 20th Annual Gathering 4 Mother Earth, which will take place on Oct. 15 and 16 in Pojoaque. The theme is “Sovereignty of our Food and Seeds,” reflecting a position that Native American knowledge and modern methods can blend to build a sustainable future based on respect for Mother Earth. Activities will include talking circles with wisdom keepers. Workshops on Saturday will cover topics such as acequia health, nutrition and Native medicine. TWU’s Indigenous Women’s Health program will be facilitating a mother/baby blessing at 10 a.m. There will be arts and crafts, music, including Black Eagle Singers and Indigie Femme, traditional dancers, food and more. Sunday will focus on ceremony such as the Healing for Mother Earth Relay Run and a condolence ceremony to help those who have lost a loved one in the past year. Both days will begin with an intertribal/ intercultural sunrise service around a ceremonial fire. Respectful people of all ages and cultures are welcome to attend. The site is north of Santa Fe on Hwy. 502, 1.8 miles west of Pojoaque High School. Look for signs. For more information, call 505.747.3259, email info@tewawomenunited.org or visit www.tewawomenunited.org

ALCALDE ORGANIC FARM GOES SOLAR

Last month USDA Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner dedicated the new solar photovoltaic system that was recently installed at the Ice’s Organic Farm and Tea House in Alcalde, New Mexico. While presenting a certificate of completion, Brunner said,“This project is a good example how the Obama administration has kept its promise to help small rural businesses become more Gayle and Ronald Ice at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market energy efficient.” USDA Rural Development’s $11,541 grant was used to offset the cost of building the solar system. The $46,000 solar array will cover all of Ice’s Organic Farm and Tea House’s energy usage. The funding provided by USDA Rural Development was made by the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which assists agricultural producers and small rural businesses in accessing loan guarantees and grant funds to purchase renewableenergy systems and make energy-efficiency improvements. The REAP program is not available for residential use and is only available for businesses in communities of fewer than 50,000 people. However, there is no population limit for agricultural producers wanting to apply for the program. The program is not available to individual homeowners. Rural businesses, ranching and farming operations can access information on the REAP program by calling the Rural Development State Office in Albuquerque at 505.761.4957 or by visiting www.usda.gov/energy

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ABQ‘S CITY COUNCIL APPROVES SOLAR ENERGY GOAL

On Sept. 19, Albuquerque’s City Council unanimously voted to up the use of solar power in city-owned buildings and facilities to 25 percent, a significant increase from the 3 percent currently used. The new target is expected to save approximately $3.6 million annually, according to the nonprofit advocacy organization Environment New Mexico, which encouraged the city to adopt the ambitious goal. Achieving that goal would mean significant reductions in carbon pollution and water use that fossil fuel energ y sources require. The council’s resolution mentioned that solar currently provides 1,900 jobs in the state, including just under 1,000 in Bernalillo County. City Councilor Pat Davis, a sponsor of the resolution, said, “I hope that other cities follow our lead and re-power the countr y with clean, renewable energy.” Albuquerque was ranked 12th in the country among major cities for installed solar capacity in 2014. According to an economic impact report prepared for the city councilors, installing solar panels on city-owned buildings would cost about $46 million and lead to a $3.6 million reduction in annual energy costs. The city’s Energy Conservation Council now has to come up with a plan by the second quarter of 2017 with implementation options and recommendations for how to meet the 25 percent goal.

“INNOVATION and DISCOVERY IN AGRICULTURE and FOOD” NOVEMBER 9–10, LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO High Desert Discovery District (HD3), New Mexico’s first privately-led hightech start-up business accelerator, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) and New Mexico State University (NMSU) will co-host the next HD3 Discovery Day™ Nov. 9–10 in Las Cruces. The event will focus on statewide innovation and commercialization opportunities that impact agriculture, value-added food products and food industries. “You can think of this event as Shark Tank for the agricultural and foodrelated sectors, both of which are significant economic drivers for our state,” New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte said. “We’re excited to see people of all backgrounds bring forward their projects and ideas to improve market conditions, develop market opportunities and solve real and significant challenges in agriculture.” Innovators from all over New Mexico are invited to apply to present their discovery/innovation/product to a highly experienced group of experts, business achievers, entrepreneurs, management expert and investors. The application deadline is Oct. 7. Details are available at www.hddd.org

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $300,000 over two years to the Northern New Mexico STEM Mentor Collective, a partnership steered by Northern New Mexico College, with UNM-Los Alamos, the school districts of Española Valley, McCurdy, Pojoaque Valley, and the El Rito and the Embudo Valley libraries. The partners also include the Bradbury Science Museum and key leaders at Los Alamos National Laboratory and its foundation, the Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations, the Regional Development Corporation and Scientific Education Solutions. The partnership will focus on raising aspirations in High School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) topics by training and placing (in schools and libraries) a STEM Mentor Corps comprised of exemplary NNMC and UNM-LA STEM undergraduates. By heightening their sense of self-efficacy, the Collective expects this Corps to regenerate itself and increase the flow of the state’s indigenous populations into STEM college programs and well-paying STEM careers. The NSF solicited this work though INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science)—one of its 10 big ideas. For further information about the Collective, call 505.747.5424 or email steve.cox@nnmc.edu

Green Fire Times • October 2016

What's Going On! Events / Announcements OCT. 23, 8:30 AM–12 PM ACEQUIA CELEBRATION/FUN RUN

Sánchez Farms, 1180 Arenal Rd. SW 3rd annual event presented by Center for Social Sustainable Systems. 8:30–9 am: registration; 9:15 am: 5K/1K begins. Honoring of the acequia after Fun Run. $25/$15 suggested donation. 505.300.8357, www.picatic.com/ cesossfunrun2016

ALBUQUERQUE OCT. 7 HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FORUM UNM Student Union Ballroom

Social Determinants and Local Economic Development. Daylong convening organized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), UNM Health Sciences Center and many other local and national partners. $75.ericgriegoabq@gmail.com,Info/Registration: www.healthycommunitiesforum.com

OCT. 8, 9:30 AM, 1 PM SCIENCE TO GROW ON: OUR SURROUNDINGS Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd. NW

Family-oriented science center.Explore Earth’s system of natural resources. Examine and filter water and create your own small ecosystem to take home. Preregistration required. $8/$5/$4.505.225.8300

OCT. 8, 10:30 AM–12:30 PM ABQ CITIZEN’S CLIMATE LOBBY

Monthly meeting. Learn about climate change solutions that bridge the partisan divide such as a carbon fee/dividend that gives revenue back to households. Lisas.ccl@gmail.com, http:// newmexicoclimateaction.org

OCT. 9, 10 AM–3 PM LOCAL FOOD FESTIVAL AND FIELD DAY Gutiérrez-Hubbell House 6029 Isleta Blvd. SW

Annual event highlighting regional food and agriculture. Chef demos, workshops, vendors. Presented by Bernalillo County Open Space, MidRegion Council of Governments Agricultural Cooperative and community organizations. 505.468.7247, www.bernco.gov/communityservices/local-food-festival.aspx

OCT. 12–NOV. 9 BERNALILLO COUNTY EXTENSION MASTER COMPOSTERS TRAINING Bernalillo County Extension Office, 1510 Menaul Blvd. NW 505.929.0414, nmcomposters.org, Info/ application: http://bernalilloextension.nmsu. edu/mastercomposter/mc-training.html

OCT. 14, 7 PM “WISHING FOR RAIN IN NM” So. Bway. Cultural Center 1025 Broadway SE

Free screening of documentary full of ideas that may change the way we view rain and drought. Official selection of the Sept. 2016 Gallup Film Festival. www.wishing-forrain.com

OCT. 15 MEET THE BIRDS WITH NEW MEXICO WILDLIFE RESCUE ReStore, 4900 Menaul NE

Learn about wildlife rehabilitation. Meet live raptors. Daylong event. 505.359.2423, Beth@ habitatabq.org, www.habitatabq.org

NOV. 5, 9 AM–12 PM BACKYARD FARMING SERIES Gutiérrez-Hubbell House 6029 Isleta SW

Seed Saving and Seed Exchange workshop includes discussion on heirloom, hybrid and genetically modified seeds. 505.314.0420, www.bernco.gov

NOV. 9–11; ONLINE REGISTRATION DEADLINE: NOV. 3 QUIVIRA COALITION CONFERENCE Embassy Suites Hotel

“Lights,Soil, Action!” How can we transform our world by getting regenerative solutions implemented widely and quickly? Featured speakers:Wes Jackson, Dr.Jonathan Lundgren, Lucy Waruingi. Exhibitors from companies and organizations. 11/9, 7 pm fundraiser:An Evening withTemple Grandin: $25. (Open to the public.) 11/10–11: All day plenary sessions.7 pm: Awards reception and social. Registration: www.quiviracoalition.org

NOV. 9–17 OUR LAND 2 ABQ and SF

Tracing the Acequia Commons. A series of talks, exhibits, films and an acequia walk to advance discourse on land commons and farmland futures. Most events are free. www.agrariantrust. org/2016symposium

SATURDAYS, OPEN 8 AM DOWNTOWN GROWERS’ MARKET Robinson Park, Eighth and Central Local produce, live music, artisan creations, food and community. 505.252.2959, downtowngrowers.com

SATURDAYS, 1 PM WEEKLY DOCENT-LED TOURS National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th St. SW

THROUGH 2016 LAS HUERTAS FARMING TRAINING Bernalillo County Ext. Office 1510 Menaul NW

Intro to Horticulture in Aridlands covers basics of farming in NM’s varied climate and seasons.Other classes offered include GrowingTechniques,Summer Growing Season (farm visits),Business management and planning.sean@riograndefarm.org,http:// riograndefarm.org/farmer-training-farm-incubator/

ABQ 2030 DISTRICT

A voluntary collaboration of commercial property tenants, building managers, property owners and developers; real estate, energy, and building sector professionals, lenders, utility companies; and public stakeholders such as government agencies, nonprofits, community groups and grassroots organizers. Property partners share anonymous utility data and best practices. Professional partners provide expertise and services. Public partners support the initiative as it overlaps with their own missions. Info: albuquerque@2030districts.org

SANTA FE

OCT. 1–2 ARTISAN MATERIALS EXPO Buffalo Thunder Resort

“Creative Ascension 2016.” Art materials, workshops, demos, International Encaustic Artists Retreat. 800.331.6375, ExpoRegistration@Artisan-SantaFe.com, http://expoartisan.com

OCT. 1–2 HARVEST FESTIVAL El Rancho de las Golondrinas, La Cienéga

$8/$6/12 & under free. 505.471.2261, www. golondrinas.org

OCT. 2, 3–5 PM WATER SYSTEMS WALK-THROUGH Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center, Cerrillos

Tour off-grid site with rain catchment and water harvesting earthworks for food growing and land restoration, greywater in the greenhouse and outdoors and different kinds of water heaters. $25 suggested donation. Amanda@ampersandproject. org, Amperandproject.org

Tours of different exhibits and themes in the Art Museum. $2-$3, free with museum admission. 505.246.2261, nhccnm.org

OCT. 3, 6–8 PM FOOD FOR LIFE: DIABETES INITIATIVE SF Community College

DAILY, 10 AM–6 PM WILDLIFE WEST 87 N. Frontage Rd., Edgewood (just east of ABQ)

OCT. 3, 5, 5–7:30 PM ADOPT AN ARROYO TRAINING

122-acre park/attraction with educational programs dedicated to native wildlife and ecology. $7/$6/$4/children under 5 free. www. wildlifewest.org

DAILY OUR LAND, OUR CULTURE, OUR STORY Indian Pueblo Cultural Center 2401 12th St. NW

Historical overview of the Pueblo world and contemporary artwork and craftsmanship of each of the 19 pueblos; Weekend Native dances. 866.855.7902, www.indianpueblo.org

FIRST SUNDAYS NM MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 1801 Mountain Road

Museum admission is free to NM residents on the first Sunday of every month. 505.841.2800

Green Fire Times • October 2016

Award winning nutrition and cooking class series. 505.690.2603

SF Watershed Assn. workshop. Steward teams learn to assess and survey SF River arroyos, develop action plans and implement simple measures to ensure river health. Free. 505.820.1696, www.santafewatershed.org

OCT. 4, 5 PM PIÑÓN AWARDS CEREMONY AND DINNER La Fonda on the Plaza

SF Community Foundation 2016 awards recognize the work of outstanding nonprofits and dedicated philanthropists. $50. Registration: 505.988.9715, www.santafecf.org/pinon-awards

OCT. 5, 11:30 AM–1 PM GREEN LUNCH SFAHBA, 2520-B Cam. Entrada

Presentation by Kate Noble and Bill Foster of SF’s start-up search and connection

engine, yellCast, on Reversing Outsourcing: A New Way to Bring Business Back to SF’s Economy. $15. Reservations: 505.982-1774. Presented by the SF Green Chamber. glenn@ nmgreenchamber.com

OCT. 7–9 WORLD CONGRESS OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINES SF Convention Center

Presentations and dialogue on multidimensional healing of the Earth and global community. More than 20 speakers. Doctors, scientists, researchers, healers. Hosted by Dr. Linda Lancaster. Keynote speakers: Terry Tempest Williams, Dietrich Klinghardt, Chris Griscom. Weekend rate: $395/$225; $195/ day. 10/8: Benefit gala dinner $100. 415.786.7721, gfimcongress@gmail.com, https://gfim-world.com

OCT. 8, 12–4 PM HARVEST FESTIVAL SF Children’s Museum 1050 Old Pecos Tr.

Family-friendly fall activities. 505.989.8359, ext. 115. http://santafechildrensmuseum.org/

OCT. 8, 7:30 PM PEACE ROAD CONCERT James A. Little Theatre 1060 Cerrillos Rd.

World dance, story and music with Houman Pourmehdi, Zuleikha, Brahim Fribgane. $30/$25. Thestorydancerproject.org

OCT. 10, 6 PM JACK LOEFFLER Hotel Santa Fe

SW Seminars lecture by the aural historian, musician and author. $12. 505.466.2775, Southwestseminar@aol.com, www. SouthwestSeminars.org

OCT. 13, 2–4 PM SF COUNTY AGRICULTURE RESOURCE INVENTORY SF County Fairgrounds, 3229 Rodeo Rd.

Roundtable discussion among agriculture resource providers about the status of agriculture and ranching including market and production capacity, agri-resources and infrastructure. RSVP: 505.986.2452, eortigoza@ santafecountynm.gov

OCT. 13, 5:30 PM 2016 MAYOR’S SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS SF Convention Center

Sponsored by the City of Santa Fe, the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission and Women of Green. Free.

OCT. 13, 7 PM AN EVENING WITH NELL NEWMAN SF Convention Center

Daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, creator/co-founder of Newman’s Own Organics: The Second Generation. $20. http://tickets.ticketssantafe.org. Presented by the SF Green Chamber and Women of Green. glenn@nmgreenchamber.com

OCT. 13, 5:30–7:30 PM NORTHERN NM 20/20 CAMPAIGN Hotel Santa Fe

Presented by the Regional Development Corp., this event recognizes 20 high-growth companies that are creating jobs in the region. Sen. Martin Heinrich is the keynote speaker. Registration/ RSVP: www.nnm2020.org

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OCT. 13–23 SF INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL www.SantaFeIndependent.com

OCT. 14; NOV. 4, 10 AM–4 PM ETSY AND MARKETING WORKSHOP WESST Learn how to turn your craft passion into an online business. $59. Basic computer skills required. Sept. 9 registration deadline for Sept. workshop. Application: 505.474.6556, rperea@wesst.org

OCT. 14, 8:30–5:30 PM WOMEN AS GAME CHANGERS CONFERENCE Sunrise Springs Resort and Spa, La Cienéga

An immersive, interactive creative laboratory. With Nell Newman. Limited to 70 progressive women. $145. 505.231.2342, Carolyn@ mindovermarkets.com

OCT. 15, 9 AM–3 PM SANTA FE EXPANDING YOUR HORIZONS CONFERENCE SFCC, 6401 Richards Ave.

Designed to encourage girls in the 5th–8th grades to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Registration: www.expandingyourhorizons.org/ conferences/SantaFe/

OCT. 15 LEGAL CLINIC FOR ARTISTS WESST

NM Lawyers for the Arts and WESST/SF are partnering to offer free legal consultation for artists throughout northern NM. 505.474.6556, www.wesst.org/training/legal-clinic-for-artists/

OCT. 15, 10 AM–6 PM FIESTA FELA 2016 SF Railyard Park

Annual festival of African art and culture. Free. 505.919.9194, fiestafela@gmail.com, www. afreekasantafe.org

OCT. 15–16 GATHERING FOR MOTHER EARTH Pojoaque Powwow Grounds

“Holistic Ways of Heartfelt Wellness.” Gathering for all cultures and ages. Holistic approaches to ecological wellness. Sunday: Healing Earth Relay Run. Sponsored by Tewa Women United with many collaborating entities and individuals. Volunteers needed. 505.747.3259, www.tewawomenunited.org

OCT. 16 CLIMATE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

11 am: Bike ride starts at Ft. Marcy Park. 1 pm: Lunch at Tesuque Village Market. Organized by the Climate Leadership Institute. www. takeresponsibility.us

OCT. 20, NOV. 10, 3–4:30 PM ETHNOBOTANICAL HERITAGE LECTURE SERIES SF Botanical Garden

10/20: Steppes Biomes with Panayoti Keladis (5–7 pm reception); 11/10: Canyon Gardens: The New Mexican Historic Landscape Across the Centuries with Baker H. Morrow. 505.471.9103, http://santafebotanicalgarden.org

OCT. 21, 5–8 PM LOOK WHERE WE LIVE SF Women’s Club, 1616 Old Pecos Trl. Auction to benefit New Deal art in NM and highlight national parks, monuments and historic sites. Artists and photographers have donated their creations to raise funds for the National New Deal Preservation Association’s restoration work. Admission: $20/$10. 505.473.3985, newdeal@cybermesa.com, www. newdeallegacy.org

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OCT. 21, OCT. 22 THE PEOPLE’S POTTERY Poeh Cultural Center, 78 Cities of Gold Rd., Pojoaque

Bringing home Tewa pottery from the Smithsonian’s NMAI. 10/21, 2–6 pm: opening reception; 6–8 pm: welcoming feast; 10/22, 9:30 am–4 pm: Pueblo potters gathering. RSVP for feast: 505.455.5041, info@poehcenter.org. www.poehcenter.org

OCT. 22, 5:30–9 PM HUNGRY MOUTH FESTIVAL Eldorado Hotel

A compassionate cook-off featuring top chefs to help end homelessness. After Party flamenco with Juan Siddi: 9–11 pm. Tickets: 505.982.6611 ext.104, www.steshelter.org

OCT. 27–28 LLOYD KIVA NEW CENTENNIAL CONVOCATION Institute of American Indian Arts

An interdisciplinary look at the contemporary Native art movement in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Cherokee artist and educator. A collaboration with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Both days: $75/$35. Single day: $40/$20. 505.424.2376, swall@iaia.edu, https://iaia.edu/ event/lloyd-kiva-new-centennial-convocation/

OCT. 28, 10 AM NM ACEQUIA COMMISSION MEETING Bataan Memorial Bldg., rm. 238, (corner Don Gaspar and S. Capital) Info: 505.603.2879 or molinodelasisla@ gmail.com. Agendas: 505.603.2879 or www. nmaceequiacommission.state.nm.us

OCT. 30, 1-5 PM SANTA FE AREA HOMEBUILDERS ASSOCIATION FALL FIESTA 2520 Cam. Estrada 505.982.1774, Lourdes@sfahba.com, www. sfahba.com

NOV. 4–5 QUANTUM AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP Pueblo of Tesuque Intergenerational Center

Presented by Hugh Lovel. Learn how agriculture works in harmony with nature and how to improve yields,reduce cultivation, eliminate weeds, pests and diseases while building humus. (See ad, page 17) Info:518.332.3156, 505.699.6408 or fourbridges@ live.com.Sliding-scale fee. Registration: www.4bridges.org/conference-biodynamic

NOV. 5, 10 AM–2 PM BAG FLEA MARKET Palace of the Governors 110 Washington Ave.

SF Book Arts Group/Palace Press annual multivendor arts market. Supplies for mixed-media, assemblage and collage, handmade books and journals, specialty papers, antique books and prints, ephemera, gifts. 505.660.9942, SantaFeBAG.org

NOV. 6–9 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ GATHERING FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, CULTURE AND CLIMATE Buffalo Thunder Resort, Pojoaque The Colorado Plateau Intertribal Conversations Gathering group has invited tribal presenters from North and South America to share ideas about farming,sacred site mandates, community-building strategies,water, language, etc. Registration: $300. 928.774.7488, www.intertribalgathering.com

NOV. 16–20 2016 BIODYNAMIC CONFERENCE SF Convention Center

Tierra Viva: Farming the Living Earth. Over 50 workshops, 10 keynote speakers, more than 100 presenters, field trips, food, exhibits. An approach to agriculture that

collaborates with the planet to create healthy, vibrant landscapes and nourishing food. 262.649.9212, ext. 2, www.biodynamics.com

SUNDAYS, 10 AM-4 PM RAILYARD ARTISAN MARKET Farmers’ Market Pavilion 1607 Paseo de Peralta

ONGOING HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL HEALTH SUPPORT HCH Community Wellness Center (lower entrance), 1397 Weimer Rd. 575.751.8909, mariam@taoshospital.com, TaosHealth.com

Local artists, textiles, jewelry, ceramics, live music. 505.983.4098, Francesca@santafefarmersmarket. com, artmarketsantafe.com

TUES. & SATS., 7 AM-1 PM, WEDS., 4-8 PM SANTA FE FARMERS’ MARKET 1607 Paseo de Peralta (& Guadalupe) Northern NM farmers & ranchers offer fresh greenhouse tomatoes, greens, root veggies, cheese, teas, herbs, spices, honey, baked goods, body care products and much more. www. santafefarmersmarket.com

SUNDAYS, 11 AM JOURNEY SF CONVERSATIONS Collected Works Books 202 Galisteo St.

10/2: SF New Mexican editor Ray Rivera; 10/9: Dr. Suzanne Schmidt, League of Women Voters of SF County; 10/16: Miranda Viscoli, co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence; 10/23: author Pen La Farge; 10/30: Peter Simonson, executive director of ACLUNM. Moderators: Alan Webber, Bill and Ellen Dupuy. Free. www.journeysantafe.com

MON.–SAT., 8 AM–4 PM RANDALL DAVEY AUDUBON CENTER 1800 Upper Canyon Rd. Striking landscapes and wildlife. Bird walks, hikes, tours of the Randall Davey home. 505.983.4609, http://nm.audubon.org/ landingcenter-chapters/visiting-randall-daveyaudubon-center-sanctuary

THROUGH DEC. 30 A NEW CENTURY: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF LLOYD KIVA NEW Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 710 Camino Lejo Fashion designs, art, photos and archival documents. 505.476.1269, indianartsandculture.org

SF CITIZENS’ CLIMATE LOBBY La Montañita Co-op Community Rm., 913 W. Alameda

Meets monthly. Learn about climate change solutions that bridge the partisan divide such as the carbon fee dividend, which gives revenue back to households. santafe@ citizensclimatelobby.org, www.facebook. com/ccl.newmexico

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR SF COUNTY Hard copies $70, CDs $2. Contact Melissa Holmes, 505.995.2717 or msholmes@ santafecounty.org. The SGMP is also available on the county website: www.santafecounty. org/growth_management/sgmp and can be reviewed at SF Public libraries and the County Administrative Building, 102 Grant Ave.

TAOS

NOV. 19 CONGRESO DE LAS ACEQUIAS Sagebrush Inn

Annual meeting of the NM Acequia Association, a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect water and acequias, grow healthy food and honor cultural heritage. 505.995.9644, www.lasacequias.org

THIRD WEDS. MONTHLY TAOS ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORK Taos County Courthouse Mural Room, Taos Plaza Networking, presentations and discussion. Free.

HERE & THERE

OCT. 1–2 EL RITO STUDIO TOUR 50 miles north of Santa Fe off Hwy. 84 30th annual. Traditional and contemporary media. Over 40 artisans, 17 stops. Food and entertainment. 575.581.4679, janbachman@ mac.com, www.elritostudiotour.org

OCT. 7 FINAL DAY TO ORDER TREE SEEDLING SALE

Seedlings available to people who own at least one acre of land in NM who agree to use the trees for conservation purposes. Distribution ends Oct. 14. NM State Forestry Div. 505.476.3353, www.nmforestry.com

OCT. 12, 8 AM–10 AM NM BUSINESS INCENTIVE PROGRAMS Sandoval Economic Alliance, Río Rancho, NM Nov. 9: Finding Talent for Your Business. $39. Presented in partnership with Dynamic Growth Business Resource Center. Info/registration: 505.238.3004, http://sandovaleconomicalliance. org/category/events/

MON., WED., FRI., SAT., 10 AM–4 PM PAJARITO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER 2600 Canyon Rd., Los Alamos, NM Nature center and outdoor education programs. Exhibits of flora and fauna of the Pajarito Plateau; herbarium, live amphibians, butterfly and xeric gardens. 505.662.0460, www. losalamosnature.org

WEDS. THROUGH OCT. 31, 10 AM–4 PM POJOAQUE PUEBLO FARMERS & CRAFTS MARKET Poeh Center Plaza 78 Cities of Gold Rd. WEDNESDAYS, 10 AM GREEN HOUR HIKES Los Alamos Nature Center, Los Alamos, NM

Kid-centered hikes. Free. Losalamosnature.org

1ST THREE WEDS. EA. MONTH, 6 PM GALLUP SOLAR CLASSES 113 E. Logan Ave., Gallup, NM Free 12-part course on off-grid solar teaches people how to understand, size and install off-grid systems. No pre-registration necessary. 10/5: Uses of Solar Energy, solar heat, solar thermal, concentrating solar, solar ovens, photovoltaics. 10/12: Electricity Basics. 10/19: Solar Panels. 11/2: Storage Technology. 11/16: Inverters, AC, DC. 505.726.2497, gallupsolar@ gmail.com,Gallupsolar.org

EVERY 2ND AND 4TH THURSDAY, 6–7:30 PM SPIRIT OF THE BUTTERFLY 923 E. Fairview Lane, Española, NM Women’s support group organized by Tewa Women United. Info/RSVP: Beverly, 505.795.8117

SATURDAYS THROUGH OCT. 8, 9 AM–1 PM EIGHT NORTHERN PUEBLOS ART AND FARMERS’ MARKET 327 Eagle Dr. (behind Ohkay Casino, just north of Española)

Local produce, cooking demos, live entertainment. 505.747.1593, www.enipcmarket.com

Green Fire Times • October 2016

Santa Fe Botanical Garden Invites You to Experience

Ojos y Manos: Eyes & Hands Garden

This new, ethnobotanical learning space features gardens that showcase local culture and the plants that Native Americans and Spanish settlers grew for food, medicine, and other uses. Visitors of all ages will enjoy exploring hands-on demonstrations and activities in outdoor classrooms, the Learning Pavilion, and Gathering Place Amphitheater.

· 9am – 6pm free admission · 11:30am ribbon cutting ceremony · 12 – 4pm activities: Native American dances, flamenco and mariachi performances, story-telling & more!

715 CAMINO LEJO, SANTA FE, NM 87505 | SANTAFEBOTANICALGARDEN.ORG | 505.471.9103 OPE N DAILY 9A M – 5 PM TH ROUG H DECE M B E R 31 | VISIT OU R WE BSITE FOR HOLIDAY & WINTE R HOU R S

Green Fire Times • October 2016