Cultivating Connections
This summer, the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association invites you to enjoy stories of food, farms, and families from across the Land of Enchantment. Here you will find new stories that we'll be sharing every Wednesday. Be sure to check back each week and subscribe to our YouTube channel below.
Episode 1: Full Circle Mushrooms
We are thrilled to present the first episode in our Cultivating Connections series highlighting local food, farms, and families. Episode 1 shines a spotlight on Full Circle Mushrooms, a fantastic fungi farm nestled in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Meet Ximena Zamacona, the brains behind Full Circle Mushrooms, as she dishes on the magic of buying local and giving back to your community.
Episode 2: Polk's Folly Farm
In this episode of "Cultivating Connections," we invite you to take a tour of Polk's Folly Farm in San Antonito, New Mexico, where they raise heritage breed pigs, chickens, and occasionally other livestock sustainably. Farmer Zach Withers shows how they feed food waste to the pigs that would otherwise go to the landfill, turning it into nutrient-rich pork products. They sell their products at local farmers' markets, helping to build community around local food. The farm hopes to one day process its own grains into whiskey as another value-added product.
Episode 3: Mendez Produce
See how the Mendez family runs their small organic vegetable farm in El Guique, NM. Watch as they harvest a variety of crops by hand, including carrots, beets, lettuce and more. Learn about their organic practices with no chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides. Hear testimonials from happy customers who praise Mendez Produce for their fresh, clean produce and friendly service at the Albuquerque Farmers Market. Get a glimpse into the daily life of a family-run organic farm and their dedication to local, sustainable agriculture.
Episode 4: Monte Vista Farm
Meet Jennifer and Charles Fresquez, the proud owners of Monte Vista Farm in Española, New Mexico. In this video, they share the story of their family’s farm, a staple at the Santa Fe Farmers Market for over 30 years. Now at the helm after taking over from their parents, Jennifer and Charles emphasize the importance of bringing healthier, fresher local foods to the community, especially in the food desert areas on Santa Fe’s south side. Monte Vista Farm grows a wide range of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs. Selling at farmers' markets allows them to connect directly with customers and provide access to top-quality local foods.
Episode 5: Better Harvest Farm
This video profiles young farmer Dane Parks who started cultivating the land while still in high school in Aztec, New Mexico. On his 18-acre farm in Aztec, New Mexico, called Better Harvest Farms, Dane grows unique varieties of organic potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables. The video follows Dane through a day at the local farmers market, where he sells his certified organic produce. Dane shares his journey, including struggles through losing crops from severe weather, as well as the process he's taken to become a third-party certified organic farm.
Episode 6: Rosales Produce
Get an inside look at Rosales Produce, a family farm in New Mexico that has been growing and selling chilies for 50 years. Owner Mario Rosales describes how he and his wife Linda started the farm and business with his father. They now farm 400 acres of alfalfa and chilies, with 60 acres dedicated to chilies. The Rosales family picks fresh chilies daily and sells them at four stands around Albuquerque. Mario emphasizes that their chilies are farm fresh with a unique flavor from being grown with natural Rio Grande water. Linda talks about long-time customers who have been coming to Rosales Produce for decades and are now life-long friends.
Episode 7: Redshirt Family Farm
Redshirt Family Farm in Shiprock, New Mexico, grows traditional Navajo crops like white corn, squash, and melons. Today, Raquel Redshirt continues these cultural practices, including collecting corn pollen for ceremonies and selling their produce at the local Shiprock Farmers' Market. Connecting Navajo families to fresh, culturally significant food is an important part of Raquel's life, not only to continue her family's legacy but also to help address food access issues in remote reservation communities.
Episode 8: Dixon Cooperative Market
The Dixon Co-Op in Dixon, New Mexico, serves as a community gathering spot and supports local agriculture by partnering with 10 regular farmers. The co-op, which has 420 household members, offers the Double Up Food Bucks program, providing EBT users with half-price produce. This initiative has increased sales and made high-quality, organic food more affordable. The program benefits both local farmers and consumers, fostering a local economy where money circulates multiple times within the community. Customers value local produce, purchasing about $5,000 worth monthly during summer. The co-op's success is attributed to strong relationships with local growers and the community's commitment to supporting local agriculture.
Episode 9: Tesoros del Valle Farmers' Market
Jason Gonzalez, a small farmer and founder of Tesoros del Valle Farmers Market, discusses the market's success in Villanueva, a food desert with the nearest grocery store an hour and a half away. The market, now in its second year, has overcome challenges by changing its day to Sunday to attract vendors. Steve and Francis Montoya, local farmers, highlight their organic farming practices using traditional irrigation methods and the benefits of local produce. The market also offers the Double Up Food Bucks program for SNAP/EBT recipients in New Mexico, doubling their purchasing power. Jason envisions growing the farming community by inspiring young people to farm and increasing food crop production.
