Even before the socioeconomic challenges associated with COVID-19 appeared, the Agri-Cultura Network of Albuquerque’s South Valley — a farmer-owned food brokerage dedicated to building New Mexico’s local food economy through regenerative agriculture and food justice — wove itself into the very fabric of its community. During a normal year, Agri-Cultura…

A recent partnership between the Questa Farmers Market and the North Central Food Pantry has been providing fresh, local produce to families hardest hit by the recent economic challenges in Questa, New Mexico. With an $8,000 grant they received from the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association’s (NMFMA) COVID-19 Local Food…

For Albuquerque’s MoGro Mobile Grocery, a nonprofit mobile grocery project and sliding-scale CSA serving vulnerable New Mexico families, the ongoing food access crisis caused by the pandemic is an urgent call-to-action. Armed with $13,000 in grant support from the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association’s (NMFMA) COVID-19 Local Food Supply Chain…

“A grandmother raising three grandchildren and working night shifts so she can be with them during the day…a single parent working an essential yet minimum-wage job…an hourly employee who had plentiful work one day and none the next.” This is how Juliana Ciana describes recipients of Reunity Resources’ food donation…

The COVID-19 crisis is teaching us how valuable a local food supply really is. It goes beyond supporting a local economy, which sometimes doesn’t seem to directly impact our families or day-to-day lives. Now we’re learning that a local food supply is more than a vague concept: It’s a necessity,…

We live in a time when recipes are everywhere, yet fewer people cook meals at home than ever before. We’re cooking less not only because it’s tough to put a balanced meal on the table after work, but also because many lack the knowledge necessary to know what all of those instructions…

Ancestral peoples of the southwest knew how to deal with shifting and unpredictable climate patterns. For thousands of years they learned about and adapted to changes in terrain and moisture patterns, and selected their domesticated and wild food plants accordingly. Many of their techniques are still practiced today by the…

No one is born knowing how to cook. Like everything else, cooking must be learned including the tools, techniques, and terminology that go along with the craft. The terminology can sometimes be confusing, especially when definitions provided by online sources conflict or are unclear. Is it bouillon or stock? Broth…

BY DENISE MILLER / FOR THE JOURNAL Wednesday, October 9th, 2019 If there are any vegetables that announce October, winter squash and pumpkins are at the top of the list. Acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash are great fall staples, and at growers’ markets, you can also find less common varieties,…

BY DENISE MILLER / FOR THE JOURNAL Wednesday, August 7th, 2019 at 12:02am   In case you’ve blinked, it’s August. And that means there are at least five things related to local food you might want to know about: 1) National Farmers’ Market Week is happening this week; 2) It’s…

BY DENISE MILLER / FOR THE JOURNAL Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019 The Fourth of July signals that summer has officially arrived. You can also tell by the exponentially expanding variety and volume of locally grown produce that is now appearing each week at your local growers’ market. What should you…

Denise Miller for the Albuquerque Journal Wednesday, June 19, 2019 Local Food Spotlight When it comes to buying food, summer screams for regular visits to your local growers’ market. May and June have been cooler, wetter and windier than usual in New Mexico, and that means that some cool weather…

What they grow: Nicholas Petrovic at Apogee Spirulina grows spirulina — an edible and nutritious blue-green algae — in Santa Fe using the small-scale French artisan method, which Nic went to France specifically to learn. While spirulina does not currently fall under organic certification (Nic is working to change that),…

What they grow: Anne Sommariva at Mountain Flower Farm grows pesticide-free asparagus, cucumbers, summer squash, fresh herbs, sweet corn, melons, butternut squash, celery root, gourds, and plenty of flowers.   Where they sell: You can find Anne’s flowers and produce at Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.   Contact information: Website: www.mountain-flowerfarm.com Email Anne…

What they grow: Alex Pino at Revolution Farm grows a fresh lettuce mix; cauliflower and radishes; greens like kale and chard; and winter squashes, including butternut, Delicata, and Japanese heirloom Red Kuri. He also specializes in heirloom garlic, which he turns into high quality garlic powder. Alex uses organic principles, minimal…

What they grow: Tres Hermanas Farm in Albuquerque grows summer crops like eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, okra, turnips, carrots, African eggplants, amaranth, and more. In fact, amaranth is one of their signature crops and their previous Farm Manager Zoey Fink offers some tips on cooking with amaranth: “You can pick the greens…