Organic Farming Conference 2019 - tradition.nmda.nmsu.edu · Maria Vakulskas, a native of Sioux City, Iowa and News Bureau Director for Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Three boys

New Mexico Organic Farming Conference

2019

Friday, February 15& Saturday, February 16

HOTEL ALBUQUERQUE AT OLD TOWNALBUQUERQUE, NM

2 New Mexico Organic Farming Conference • 2019

Hotel Reservations:You must reserve your room by January 30 to get the special

conference rate of $109 per room. These rooms go quickly, please make your reservations soon.

Call the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town: 1-866-505-7829, ask for the NM Organic Farming Conference

block or use code 1902NMOF. The direct link is available at https://tinyurl.com/2019NMOFC

Or at www.nmofc.orgConference Registation

Please note: Registration is online for 2019, If you need help, please call Sage Faulkner at

(505) 490-2822. https://tinyurl.com/NMOFC2019

Both Days Registration with lunch is $110Single Day Registration is $70.00

Scholarships Available, School Rates for Student Groups available, please email [email protected]

for information.

Hotel Directions From Santa Fe and the North

Take I-25 S. and take exit 226B to merge onto I-40 W toward Gallup, 2.3 miles. Take exit 157A for Rio Grande Blvd, continue for 0.3 miles. Turn left at Rio Grande Blvd NW. The Hotel Albuquerque will be on the left.

Hotel Directions From the Airport and the SouthMerge onto I-25 N via the ramp and continue for 3.5 miles. Take exit 226AB

to merge onto I-40 West toward Gallup, and continue for another 2.5 miles. Take Exit 157A for Rio Grande Blvd, turn left onto Rio Grande Blvd. Continue for 0.3 miles. The Hotel Albuquerque will be on the left.Hotel Directions From the East -Head West on I-40, take Exit 157A to Rio

Grande Blvd. Turn left on Rio Grande Blvd. Continue for 0.3 miles. The Hotel Albuquerque will be on the left.Hotel Directions From the West -Head East on I-40, take Exit 157A to Rio

Grande Blvd. Turn right on Rio Grande Blvd. Continue for 0.3 miles. The Hotel Albuquerque will be on the left.

PLEASE NOTE – NEW VENUE!The NM Organic Farming Conference

will take place atHotel Albuquerque at Old Town

800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Albuquerque, NM 87104

https://tinyurl.com/2019NMOFC

http://www.nmofc.org

https://tinyurl.com/NMOFC

mailto:[email protected]

New Mexico Organic Farming Conference • 2019 3

2 0 1 9 S C H E DU L EFebruary 15th7:00am Registration 7:00am-9:00am Breakfast Break 8:00am General Welcome, Jeff Witte, Secretary of Agriculture, NMDA9:00am-10:30am Session 1 11:00am-12:30am Session 2 12:30pm-1:45pm Lunch on your own1:30pm Outside demos2:00pm-3:30pm Session 33:00pm-4:00pm Snack Break3:45pm-5:15pm Session 46:00pm-8:00pm Career Social

February 16th7:00am Registration7:00am-9:00am Breakfast Break 7:00am Women Farmers Coffee and Network Break sponsored by NMFLB Women’s Committee8:00am-9:30am Session 5 9:45am-11:15am Session 612:00pm-2:30pm Local and Organic* Luncheon Recognition Keynote Speaker, Ron Rosmann, Rosmann Family Farms, 2018 MOSES Organic Farmers of the Year2:30pm-5:00pm OPEN networking time, ask for the list of groups meeting, or for time and space for YOUR group!

Session Tracks for 2019 Water, Soil, Management, Plant/Seeds, New/Exciting

Soils Track:Regenerating the Diversity of Life in Soils - Hope for Farming, Ranching and Climate! Construction, Care and Feeding of the Johnson-Su Bioreactor, Dr. David JohnsonA Practical Transition Toward a Functioning Soil, Dave ScottAdvancing Your Soil Health (How Can You Tell?), Dr. John IdowuRudy Garcia, Dan Bloedel, Kevin BarnumVermicomposting, John ZarolaSoil Health – How Can We Measure It? Dr. John IdowuThe Soil Micro-Universe: Thinking Small Can Address Big Problems, Courtland Kelly

Management Track:Wholesale Markets: The Next Frontier for New Mexico Growers,Kendal Chavez and Michael Venticinque

The OMRI List and How to Use It! Jennifer LudwigRetail Trade Via an On-Farm Grocery Store, How I Started “Farm Sweet Farm” in 2012 and Lived to Tell About It, Maria Vakulskas Rosmann

What Can My Extension Agent do For Me? Bruce HindrichsFood hubs: How small and mid-sized farmers get to Market, La Montañita Cooperative Distribution CenterHolistic Top-Bar Beekeeping, Zach Cecelic

Water Track:Irrigation Methods, Steve ElaAcequia Hydrology: Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions in Northern New Mexico, Steve GuldanTools and Strategies for Water Conservation and Resilience (Panel), Kate Greenburg, Arielle Quintana, Dr. Caitriana Steele, Tiana BacaBack to Basics Rainwater Harvesting, Billy KniffenBack to Basics Rainwater Harvesting, Billy Kniffen (Repeat)Acequia Water Rights, Paula Garcia and Enrique Romero

Plants/Seeds:Seed Saving and Variety Development for the Future in the Arid Southwest, Laurie Lange Seed Diversity, Bill NeimanAdvanced Potato Production, Dr. Stephanie WalkerSeedling and Seedbank Management Practices for Improved Weed Control, Dr. Eric GallandtSaving Our Future with Seeds, Emigdio BallonSmall Scale Grains, Julie Zavage

New/Exciting:Cold Frame Construction and Improvisation, Joseph AlfaroUsing Cover Crops Creatively to Transition Ground to Organic, Rex DufourIts More than Just a Buffer Zone Requirement! Kevin BranumClimate Change Impacts on New Mexico’s Future Water Resources, Dr. Catriana SteeleWorking with Veterans & Registering Apprenticeships with the VA, Monica Pless, Margeret Yancey, Gordon TooleyAssessing Biodiversity for Support of Climate Resilience, Jo Ann Baumgartner

PLEASE NOTE – NEW VENUE!The NM Organic Farming Conference

will take place atHotel Albuquerque at Old Town

800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Albuquerque, NM 87104


Jeff grew up on his family’s ranch on the Rowe Mesa between Moriarty and Las Vegas, New Mexico. He graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management and a master’s degree in agricultural economics.

After college, Jeff worked for New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau as the field representative for the counties in northern New Mexico. He also represented the state’s farmers and ranchers inlegislative discussions in Santa Fe. During this time, Jeff worked to bring farmer groups and rancher groups together. The Ag Group, as it’s loosely known, still gathers every year before the legislative session to set policy priorities that will benefit all of agriculture. When the session gets going, the group hosts Ag Fest to showcase to legislators and their staff the diversity of New Mexico agriculture. Jeff was instrumental in making this an annual event.

Jeff first came to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), located in Las Cruces, in 1994. He

spent the next nine years as the assistant director alongside Secretary/Director Frank DuBois. During that time, Jeff helped create the New Mexico Agricultural Leadership Program, a two-year program that aims to develop effective leaders within the state’s food, agriculture and natural resource sectors.

Jeff then went to work as the director for the Office of Agricultural Biosecurity for NMDA and NMSU. He later started up the Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center at NMSU. In both capacities, he worked with private industry and officials at all levels of government to develop plans that will protect New Mexico agriculture as part of a homeland security strategy. Jeff still heads up trainings on the subject from time to time.

Jeff was named New Mexico’s fifth permanent Director/Secretary of Agriculture in May 2011. Currently he serves as the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) President. He is past president of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture and past Chair of Natural Resources, Pesticide Management & Environment Committee for NASDA.

Jeff was appointed to the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator in 2015. He was appointed vice chairman for a term which began May 2018 and ends May 2020. As a member of the LGAC, Jeff represents state-appointed officials. The committee provides advice and recommendation to the EPA Administrator to assist in developing a stronger partnership with local governments. The committee also provides direction regarding building state and local capacity to deliver environmental services and programs.

The bulk of Jeff’s time as New Mexico’s secretary of agriculture is spent on the road, meeting with groups that represent farmers and ranchers across the state. He also works to educate legislators about New Mexico agriculture.

Jeff and his wife Janet live in the southern New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley. Their son, Jeremy, received a degree in ag economics and ag business from NMSU, as well as a master’s degree in economics from George Mason University. He currently works for the House Committee on Agriculture as a senior staff member. Their daughter, Jennifer, is studying nursing at NMSU.

Opening Welcome from New Mexico Secretary of

Agriculture Jeff Witte


“We all face many challenges and, yes, some opportunities, too, in the world of organic agriculture. Sometimes these can be a little daunting. I would like to share some of my 35 years of organic farming experiences as well as my lifetime of farming experiences and rural living in a small community that struggles to keep its farms and its people and infrastructure going. There is a resiliency there that is critical for today’s challenges of climate change, depleting natural resources, indifference and intolerance. Mine is a message of hope that it can all work and families and couples and individuals can all thrive and lead a satisfying and rewarding life in organic farming that includes a satisfactory economic livelihood. I will give practical examples of how we do things both in what works and what doesn’t work. I will also key in on sharing and learning from on-farm research trials and from other farmers mutual concerns and problem solving. I will talk some about the need for a strong state organization that can be of real value for both moral and community support.”

About Ron Rosmann: I grew up on a farm in southwest Iowa. I received a B.S. degree in Biology from Iowa State University in 1973. I came back to the farm that I grew up on when my Father’s health declined. In 1978 I married Maria Vakulskas, a native of Sioux City, Iowa and News Bureau Director for Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Three boys were born to our family. David 37, Daniel 35, and Mark 32. David and Daniel are a part of our farming operation and Mark works for the Foreign Agricultural Service of the USDA in Washington, D. C.

We operate a diversified 700 acre certified organic crop and livestock farm. We raise corn, soy, oats, barley, wheat, field peas, hybrid rye, popcorn, hay and pasture and cover crops. We have over 50 fields. We also have a stock cow herd of 100 red angus mother cows and feed the calves out both for our own private label beef business as well as for the Organic Prairie cooperative. We also have around 50 sows in our certified organic pork operation and sell again both with our private label and to Organic Prairie. We have been doing this for over 20 years for both the pork and beef. My wife, Maria, operates a store on our farm featuring both our meats as well as many other local products that are marketed primarily to local residents. Our son Daniel and his wife Ellen own and operate a restaurant in our county seat town of 5000 people and Ellen operates a

“Farm to Table” marketing and delivery business that buys and distributes foods from area farmers across both Iowa and Nebraska.

In 1986, I was a founding board member of the Practical Farmers of Iowa which has now grown to over 3500 members. Its founding mission was to do scientifically credible on-farm research trials and share that information with other farmers and scientists. That is still a core part of our mission but now it includes the whole gamut of support for beginning farmers, organic farmers and conventional ones as well who are open to making changes and learning how to be better farmers. I was Board president for three years, and an advisor to the organization for many years. I was a board member and president of the National Organic Farming Research Foundation for seven years. I recently completed a six year term as a board member of the National Catholic Rural Life organization. I have had the opportunity to testify before Congress on agricultural issues of various sorts over the years as well as having many articles published in state and national publications dealing with Agricultural policy. We have completed over 40 published research trials on our farm and have hosted people from all over the world on our farm for educational tours. Our farm and family has been featured in a number of books dealing with climate change, regenerative farming and agricultural policy over the past 35 years.

Ron Rosmann, Keynote Speaker for the 2019 New Mexico

Organic Farming Conference


AWA R D S

Pictures by Jane Moorman of NMSU Cooperative Extension.

Good Earth Award: Stacy Gerk, NMDA-OP, giving the Good Earth Award to recipients Rebecca Allina and Charles Mallory. The Pollinator House has been donated by Wildhood Farm, Zach and Jasmine Cecelic.

Young Farmer: Fred Porter, Fred Porter Farm Bureau Financial Services, Mimi Ludden, Young Farmer Recipient Sean Ludden, daughter Maya, and NM Farm & Livestock Bureau Executive Director, Chad Smith (holding check donated by Fred Porter and NMFLB)

Educator of the Year: (there were 2 awards given in 2018) Stacy Gerk, NMDA-OP, Billy Kniffin (above left) - Stacy Gerk, NMDA-OP, Ron Boyd (above right)

Farmer of the Year: Natasya Gundersen,

Farmer of the Year recipient Gary

Gundersen, Stacy Gerk, NMDA-OP


Soils TrackSession 1:

Regenerating the Diversity of Life in Soils - Hope for Farming, Ranching and Climate! Followed by a workshop in the Construction, Care and Feeding of the Johnson-Su Bioreactor

This discussion will build a foundation for understanding the amazing benefits of interdependence between plants and soil microbes that was gained through research in soil microbial community structure and function. It will discuss farming practices that optimize these plant-microbe associations and how they promote: restoration of soil fertility, improved crop growth, increases in plant water use efficiencies, soil microbial carbon-use efficiencies, and soil carbon storage capabilities. Also covered are how these benefits will promote a more profitable, sustainable and regenerative agriculture system that will be beneficial to both farmers/ranchers and the environment. In the workshop after the discussion, we will delve into the construction, care and feeding of the Johnson Su Bioreactor.

David Johnson is a molecular biologist conducting research for the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural Research at New Mexico State University. He also facilitates pilot project development and student research in fields ranging from: biogas generation, regional mine closures, advanced oxidation processes for super-fund sites, water desalination processes of reverse-osmosis and electro-dialysis reversal; and bio-fuel and algae production. David’s association with local growers, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, Texas A&M, Arizona State University, Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Thornburg Foundation and the Globetrotter Foundation have provided practical, sensible and cost–effective paths forward to improve food security, reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, and increase farm and rangeland productivity through the development of beneficial soil microbial communities.

Session 2: A Practical Transition Toward a Functioning Soil

This is the story of a Montana pasture in transition. For 32 years, our intensively grazed irrigated pasture system (stocking rate equaling 180 ewes and 280 lambs on 32 acres) had 160 units/acre of N applied to support 6 tons of dry matter production. Through increased pasture rest and large amounts of trampled grass, we made the gradual transition (2014-2017) to zero units of N while maintaining grass production and animal gain. All indications (Haney Soil Health Tests, field observations)

point to the increased functionality of our regenerated soils, and hence, pasture. Not only are we now enjoying a higher gross margin per acre (no fertility costs and 15% less irrigation), we feel we are supplying our direct market customers with a more nutrient dense lamb product, resulting in heightened appreciation and expanding sales. Soils in transition have provided us with a new, exciting frontier.

In addition to his work as a Livestock Specialist for NCAT, Dave and his wife, Jenny, own and operate Montana Highland Lamb in Whitehall, Montana. Dave specializes in using simple monitoring techniques to identify root problems and addressing them with holistic adaptation. Direct marketing of their lamb, grazing to control sheep parasites, and producing six to seven tons of grass per year without commercial nitrogen have been the outcomes. In a down to earth style, Dave is a farmer who is happy to share his practical experiences with others.

Session 3:

Advancing Your Soil Health (How can you tell?)In this session you will get hands-on experience to help you

determine whether your practices are improving or degrading your soil health. There will be stations with real hands on demonstrations to help you go home and determine your soil health score. Experts from NRCS, NMSU and private industry will be there to help explain what all this means and help you determine if you are truly managing for better soil health.Dr. John Idowu, NMSU Extension AgronomistRudy Garcia, NRCS Soil Health SpecialistDan Bloedel, NRCS Resource ConservationistKevin Branum, Enchanted Agro-management Solutions (EAS)

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S E S S I O N SSession 4:

Vermi-compostingComposting worms are great partners in recycling plant

nutrients and their castings are an excellent amendment for desert garden soil. The lecture will cover the science, art, materials, methods, many choices and benefits of composting with red wiggler worms. Mini-demonstrations will display an actual worm bin setup, feeding and harvesting castings.

John Zarola, master gardener since 2008. Founding member of the Bernalillo County Extension Master Composter Association in 2010.

Session 5: Soil Health – How Can We Manage It?

Healthy soil is fundamental to sustainable production of safe and nutritious food. However, determination of the health status of soils can be very challenging, due to the complex interaction of the physical, chemical and biological soil attributes. This presentation is focused on assessment of soil health across different agroecosystems in New Mexico. Soil health results under different crop management systems will be shared and a new framework being developed at NMSU for soil health assessment in arid and semiarid agricultural lands will be discussed.

John Idowu is an extension agronomist at the New Mexico State University. He got his Master’s degree in Agronomy from Germany and his Doctorate degree in Land Management from England. John is a specialist in the soil health management, crop production and conservation agriculture. John’s research and extension program emphasizes holistic approach to soil management, by looking at the soil from the biological, chemical and physical aspects. John also works on reduced tillage practices and how to integrate cover crops into the different farming systems of New Mexico.

Session 6: The Soil Micro-Universe: How thinking small can address big problems

In this session we will focus on the current state of the science on soil microbes, how they fit into metrics of soil health, and what we can do to foster their (beneficial) activity. Participants will learn about the current techniques used to measure soil microbial communities and what we know about how farm management affects the microbes. We will also discuss the role of microbes in controlling nitrogen flow and increasing soil organic matter. Prepare to think small about the big picture!

Courtland is a Ph.D. Candidate at Colorado State University. She received her B.A. in Biology from Harvard University in 2013, and before moving to CSU spent time working on ecology and agriculture education and outreach in Colorado and Massachusetts. Her work focuses on the role of cropping system diversity on soil health, mainly through crop rotation, cover crops and cultivar selection. She is most excited about work in the soil microbiome and understanding how farm management decisions can best leverage the functional potential of the microscopic soil community.


Management TrackSession 1:

Wholesale Markets: The Next Frontier for New Mexico Growers

Are you looking for additional market opportunities or interested in shifting your operation to include schools and grocers as wholesale buyers? If so, this workshop is for you. In this session, Michael Venticinque of the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association and Kendal Chavez from the NM Public Education Department’s Farm to School Program will explore the farm to wholesale process from field to fork; including, but not limited to, the role of aggregation in meeting larger institutional markets, purchasing practices, emerging distribution models, food safety and liability insurance benchmarks, product pack size, the ever-problematic issue of quantity and consistency, and more. All participants, no matter size, scale, or location of farm, will leave with a clear pathway towards diversifying their farming operations to include lucrative wholesale outlets, as well as an understanding of the benefits of selling produce wholesale. Tools, tips, and resources will be rooted in the processes that schools and grocers use to purchase produce for New Mexicans across the state, with an end goal to increase small and mid-sized growers’ access to these market opportunities.

Michael Venticinque of the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association and Kendal Chavez from the NM Public Education Department’s Farm to School Program are excited about helping farmers gain access to markets.

Session 2: The OMRI List: What it is and how to use it

Ever wondered what it means for a product to be “OMRI Listed”, or how to use the OMRI Products List? If so, this session is where you want to be! OMRI (The Organic Materials Review Institute) provides expert and independent review of inputs material, such as fertilizers and pesticides, and determines their compliance for use in certified organic production. Commercial growers and home gardeners will learn about the basic requirements for products to be included on the OMRI Products List, and how to navigate OMRI’s resources to obtain accurate and current information about products and materials allowed for use in organic farming and gardening.

Jennifer Ludwig is a Product Review Coordinator at OMRI (the Organic Materials Review Institute). Jennifer graduated from

Oregon State University with a B.S. in Horticulture focusing on organic production systems. She has over 8 years of greenhouse propagation and management experience working for organic farms and manufacturers. Jennifer volunteers for grassroots organizations involved in biodynamic agriculture and local food systems. She has also traveled to New Zealand and England to watch international Rugby World Cup tournaments. Jennifer joined OMRI in 2016.

Session 3: Retail Trade Via an On-Farm Grocery Store, How I Started “Farm Sweet Farm’ in 2012 and Lived to Tell About It

Maria Vakulskas Rosmann and her husband own and operate Rosmann Family Farms in Iowa. Maria also owns Farm Sweet Farm, an on-farm grocery store which features their meats and popcorn, and a wide variety of local, organic and unique food, grocery and gift items. Thinking about adding your own retail space? Listen to Maria’s story as she shares what they have learned.

Session 4: What Can My Extension Agent Do For Me?

The Cooperative Extension Service has been around for over 100 years yet many don’t utilize the resource to its fullest. This will session will discuss Extension programs and how to get the most from your relationship with County Extension Offices.

Bruce Hinrichs currently serves at Associate Director for the Cooperative Extension Service. Over a 30 plus year career with Extension serving as an Extension Agent before entering administration.

Session 5: Food hubs: How small and mid-sized farmers get to Market, La Montañita Cooperative Distribution Center

Ask most small to mid-sized farmers who sell food to a local market what they like least about their job and they will probably say marketing and distribution. Even when you have a guaranteed market, like in the case of (CSA) and restaurant sales, the effort involved diverts time and energy from the actual work of farming in the field. Food hubs operate on the simple principle that farmers are stronger when they work together. Food hubs are networks that allow local & regional growers to collaborate on marketing and distribution. La Montañita has enjoyed success in increasing consumer awareness of the value of purchasing locally produced food and paying more for

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local then nationally distributed foods. Join the team from La Montañita Cooperative Distribution Center to learn more about how you can benefit from working with your local food hub.

James Esqueda is the Director of the Distribution Center at La Montañita, a food hub & retail cooperative. He is responsible for the distribution center and the development of the Food Shed project. La Montañita is one of the only co-op’s in our country that operates a food hub with a value-chain team that also administrates a farmer resource like Group-Gap certification program for the growers of the four corner area.

As the Value Chain Specialist, Benjamin Bartley identifies and facilitates market opportunities for local farmers and ranchers, in addition to providing technical assistance around food safety and buyer expectations. He has more than sixteen years of experience in the food industry, most recently as the Food Access Director at the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Washington, DC.

Monique Salhab is the Community Development Specialist for La Montanita Coop. She is an Air Force veteran and was involved with the Veteran Farmer Project. Monique is unafraid to re-examine La Montanita’s role within various New Mexico communities and is passionate about food advocacy and closing the gap regarding food insecurity. Monique also sits on the National Board of Directors of Veterans For Peace and has collaborated with returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the community.

Session 6: Holistic Top-Bar Beekeeping

This breakout session will cover the reasons behind using top-bar hives in beekeeping and a season-by-season outlook of what it means to be a top-bar beekeeper. The ecological importance of top-bar hives in healthy bee populations and how to naturally and effectively deal with problems that may arise will also be discussed. Top-bar beekeeping is simple; here you will get a hands-on experience of everything you need to keep bees in this style. Everything from Winter management, constructing hives, making divides, rearing queens, planting for honeybees, to philosophical considerations and harvesting honey will be included. Get excited about having fun with honeybees!

While attaining a degree in Conservation Biology, Zach Cecelic became attuned to the need for further education in holistic bee management in our culture. Zach has been top-bar beekeeping in New Mexico for the last ten years, beginning with inspiration and guidance from Les Crowder in the mountains of Northern New

Mexico. Zach has also enjoyed leading workshops with children and adults of all ages in top-bar beehives.

Water Track Session 1:

Irrigation MethodsWater is the life blood of any farm. Water not only affects

the crop you are growing, but it also has dramatic impacts on your soil biota and your fertility plan. Applying it uniformly, managing timing to optimize plant growth, and neither applying to much or to little can make huge differences in profitability. We will discuss real life experiences with different irrigation technologies ranging from furrow to drip and with different filtration systems to serve those differing systems. Additionally, we will talk about different water supplies and how they might affect your irrigation plan. Each type of irrigation system and each type of filtration has its’ pros and cons and it is important to match those to your own farm and your water supply. Finally, we will talk about how you can assess if you are doing a good job with water management and differing methods for testing soil moisture.

Steve Ela, Ela Family Farms, a one-hundred acre certified organic family fruit farm in Hotchkiss, Colorado, and the 2018 NM Organic Farming Conference keynote speaker. A fourth generation fruit farmer, Steve currently farms and markets peaches, apples, pears, sweet cherries, plums and heirloom tomatoes.

Session 2: Acequia Hydrology: Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions in Northern New Mexico

Join us to learn about research looking at how traditional irrigation in acequia communities affects groundwater levels and stream flows. Questions discussed will include: When are seepage losses bad? When are they good? How are riparian areas influenced by acequia agriculture? Audience members irrigating off of acequias will be invited to share challenges they face regarding water availability, and how they are dealing with them.

Steve is superintendent at New Mexico State University’s Alcalde Sustainable Agriculture Science Center, and also a faculty member in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at NMSU. While at NMSU, he has collaborated on various research studies related to forages, horticultural crops, green manures, interseeding methods, and acequia agriculture hydrology.

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S E S S I O N SSession 3:

Tools and Strategies for Water Conservation and Resilience (Panel)

We know we’re entering hotter, drier times. What can farmers and ranchers do to adapt, build resilience, and continue to steward land, water, and food in the desert Southwest in a more uncertain future? Join a local panel of farmers, educators, advocates, and scientists to dig into conservation strategies for resilience. We’ll talk about what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how we take lessons learned to build a future of abundance. From seed-saving and cover cropping, to improving water infiltration on rangeland and financing conservation, we’ll traverse the dynamic landscape of farmer-led conservation so you have greater access to the knowledge and resources you need to implement conservation on your operation, or to support farmers and ranchers you work with in implementing or scaling conservation practices. Come share tools, trials and tribulations you’ve encountered in conservation, gain tangible solutions that you can implement right away, and brainstorm how we can all work together to rapidly scale up farmer-led conservation. We hope you will leave not only with new tools and techniques, but also with a stronger network of farmers, ranchers, and service providers working together to build a resilient future for agriculture through conservation. Moderator: Kate Greenberg, Western Program Director, National Young Farmers CoalitionPanel: Tiana Baca, Farm Manager at Desert Oasis Teaching Gardens; Board Member, Rio Grande Farmers CoalitionArielle Quintana, Outreach & Education Coordinator, Quivira CoalitionCaiti Steele, Coordinator, USDA Southwest Climate Hub

Session 4: Back to Basics in Rainwater Harvesting

Planning, design and construction of a simple rainwater harvesting system and use for irrigation and small animal watering. Billy will lead a discussion on components and resources and show you how to construct a rain barrel and a simple drip system for it.

Billy Kniffen is retired Texas A&M Extension Service Water Resource Specialist with the responsibility of training individuals and installing demonstration systems across Texas. He has been an instructor for the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) and helped develop 2 training manuals in

rainwater harvesting. He an his wife Mary live in a home totally dependent on rainwater.

Session 5: (REPEAT of session 4) Back to Basics in Rainwater Harvesting

Session 6: Acequia Water Rights

Join the New Mexico Acequia Association in this informative session including a brief history of Acequia water rights, a reflection on challenges and opportunities facing acequias, including legal issues and Questions and Answer session regarding acequia water rights.

Paula Garcia, NMAA Executive Director and Enrique Romero, NMAA Staff Attorney. The mission of the New Mexico Acequia Association is to protect water and our acequias, grow healthy food for our families and communities, and to honor our cultural heritage.

Plants/Seeds Track Session 1:

Seed Saving and Variety Development for the Future in the Arid Southwest

US organic seed producers conduct their trials in conditions unlike the Southwest’s intense sun, aridity, and dwindling, seasonally-specific precipitation. To ensure an enduring agriculture here, YOU can contribute simply by saving seed of selected open pollinated (OP) plants that exhibit heat, drought, insect and disease resistance, fine flavor and more in our increasingly rugged conditions. Learn about the fascinating


ways flowers self-pollinate or rely on outcrossing; strategies to maintain varietal purity or create new ones; seed cleaning with basic kitchen equipment; and hand pollination for squash and tomatoes—and meet their delightful native pollinators. Come join the growing seed steward movement to help preserve and expand our distinctive southwestern plant community of food, medicine and beauty under the garden’s wing.

Laurie Lange runs Light Green Thumb, an OP seed listing for plants of all kinds trialed in NM for arid conditions. Her work with plants has included a stint in the Department of Botany at the Smithsonian and illustrations for the Flora of North America.

Session 2: Seed Diversity, Look and See

Long before beginning Native American Seed in 1988, we had already dedicated our work to restoring integrity in relationships between people, wildlife, land, water and plants. The work has always been about connections of all kinds...among all the relative beings. We are in this together. We each make a difference.

With so much negative energies swirling about us, many

people are saying:“I just want to do something positive today”“I would like to plant good seeds in the meadow.”“I have hopes of a more beautiful tomorrow.”“I want to feel like I belong, touch the earth, and restore the land.”

Back here at the farm, we’re working ‘til dusk again. Planting more rows than we had last year. We must carry on. We plant for next year’s crop... because we are farmers. We have faith in life. I often wonder when are our people gonna become native to this place? It’s not like we are going somewhere else. Yeah, we can shuffle from place to place…but the world is smaller now, and the people have become very big. Nowhere left to hide now. It only makes sense that we settle down soon and get to the business of being Native right here. We don’t want to wake again a hundred years later still trying to gain the vision to see where we are. We can rightly choose to pursue our visions now, and we can rightly begin to learn, understand and cooperate with Mother Nature’s design of this place. With that clear vision we can more carefully plan a future that protects our basic natural resources of land, water, and diverse communities of people and wildlife. Anyone that’s ever been lost knows that you have to get back to where you once knew where you were.

Bill and Jan Neiman founded Native American Seed in 1988. Concentrating on harvest of 100% native wildflower and prairie grass seeds, Bill offers no alien plant species. The company name stems from Neiman’s high regard for the Native Americans’ relationship with the natural environment. Bill is at home with boots on the ground in the natural resource and ecological restoration community. Helping people restore land, Native American Seed has planted thousands of acres of native prairie. Neiman is a passionate practitioner from the field...preserving, protecting, harvesting and propagating a wide diversity of native species across Texas.

Session 3: Advanced Potato Production

If you’ve grown potatoes and know the basics, but would like to optimize your organic production, the advanced potatoes session will cover information on plant growth parameters, soil, fertilization, irrigation, pest management and variety selection to get the best possible harvest on your farm.

Dr. Stephanie Walker has served as the Extension Vegetable Specialist at NMSU since 2004. In addition to providing

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S E S S I O N Svegetable trainings throughout New Mexico, she also conducts research trials in chile peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. She also serves as New Mexico’s Western SARE Professional Development Program Co-Coordinator.

Session 4: Seedling and Seedbank Management Practices for Improved Weed Control

Physical weed control remains the cornerstone strategy for most organic vegetable farmers, but efficacy is generally low, highly variable, and density independent, that is, you kill a proportion of the weed seedlings present. There are three solutions to this problem. The simplest is to cultivate more. Buy another tractor, hire some more people. This is effective but weed management will not likely improve over time, and it is a risky strategy in future climate scenarios. There are two other options: cultivating better, and starting with fewer weeds, so the density of survivors is low. During this session I will argue that combining stacked cultivation and high levels of seedling mortality with proven strategies to reduce the weed seedbank could establish a positive feedback loop of improving weed management outcomes over time.

Dr. Gallandt has worked on managing weeds in organic farming systems for 20 years. His research is focused on physical weed control and weed seedbank dynamics. He teaches in the University of Maine’s Sustainable Agriculture undergraduate program.

Session 5: Saving our Future with Seed Saving

Seeds are one of the most important components of life. Their livelihood is crucial and in present times, is constantly being threatened. It is important to bring awareness to ensure seed preservation and a better future for the generations to come. “Those who have control of the seeds have control of life.”

Emigdio Ballon, Director of the Agricultural Department in the Pueblo of Tesuque, where he has been for the last 12 years, focusing on seed preservation and sustainable ways of living. Emigdio is a Bolivian native who studied Agricultural Engineering and received his Masters in Plant Genetics. He has worked in agriculture for 43 years.

Session 6: Organic Grain Production and Processing for a Local Market

This workshop will cover integrating small grains into

small-to-mid scale vegetable or livestock operations, focusing especially on the equipment required for different crops and ideas for marketing. A discussion of heirloom grains that are becoming more popular in the market along with their agronomic characteristics and challenges will be included.

Julie studied organic agriculture at Colorado State University and moved to the northeast to work in organic heirloom grain production. She has worked at all levels of heirloom cereal crops from production to milling to baking. Julie was the head miller at Maine Grains, a 100% local grist mill in central Maine, where she developed a process to create the market’s only non-heat-treated rolled oats and many other cool-temperature stone-ground flours. Julie was also one of the founding farmers of Maine’s first Dry Goods CSA, which was a rare opportunity for consumers to get their staple flours and dry beans directly from their farmers. She also started the Maine Grain Alliance’s heirloom grain trial and seed-increase project, focused on developing varieties of einkorn, black emmer, and landrace wheat that were well-adapted to Maine’s soil and climate. Julie now homesteads with her partner Adam on their farm in southern Colorado.

New/Exciting Track Session 1:

Cold Frame Construction and ImprovisationJoin Joseph Alfaro in this session discussion construction of

cold frames along with crop selection, and cold frame soil health management. What makes a cold frame design work? Joseph will discuss lessons learned from the ground up, along with challenges and ideas that he has learned.

Joseph Alfaro is both a New Mexico farmer and a community activist. He says his goal is to make change in his community one turnip at a time! The 2017 NM Organic Farming Conference Educator of the year, Joseph is farm manager at Valle Encantado Farms.


S E S S I O N S Session 2:

Using Cover Crops Creatively to Transition Ground to Organic

Join Rex Dufour in this session and hear about lessons learned when using cover crops to transition conventionally managed ground to certified organic: what worked well, what didn’t work so well with respect to cover crop mixes, letting the cover go to seed, how the cover was managed, what not to do, and impacts on soil quality as well as how well the cover crops fared during the worst years of the drought.

Rex Dufour is registered with NRCS as Technical Service Provider in CA and NV, training farmers (and learning from them) about ecological pest management and ecological soil management for over 30 years, working with NCAT/ATTRA for 25 years.

Session 3: Its More Than Just a Buffer Zone Requirement!

Buffers can be utilized for many things in an organic operation. Come find out how to let your buffer zone work for you. Don’t let it be an unattractive weedy area in your operation. We will discuss ways to utilize the buffer to turn it into a production area, utilize insects and pollinators to your advantage and provide diversity on your operation.

Kevin Branum has served as area agronomist, soil conservationist and most recently state agronomist for New Mexico NRCS. He has a lot of experience with managing soil health systems and organic systems. He now works on providing insurance, risk management and conservation consultation in the private sector.

Session 4: Climate Change Impacts on New Mexico’s Future Water Resources

Global climate models project that the climate of the American southwest will become warmer and drier in the future. Warming in winter will cause more precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow, reducing the accumulation of the annual snowpack in the Southern Rocky Mountains. Warming in spring will drive earlier snowmelt. Combined, these factors will result in lower spring runoff volumes in New Mexico’s snowfed rivers, earlier peak runoff, and ultimately less available surface water for New Mexico’s irrigators. At the same time, rising growing season temperatures will drive higher evapotranspiration rates, increasing demand for irrigation and intensifying the pressure

on both surface water and groundwater resources. Alongside warming temperatures, climate models project that the number of consecutive dry days will increase, early monsoon precipitation will decrease and a greater proportion of precipitation will fall in extreme events. For New Mexico, where water defines the distribution of agriculture and settlement, warmer temperatures and greater uncertainty in precipitation could have severe consequences for irrigated cropland agriculture. This presentation will review (i) the current science of how climate change will impact New Mexico’s water resources and what this means for conventional irrigated agriculture, and (ii) examples of adaptive and transformative solutions from other regions of irrigated agriculture.

Dr. Caitriana Steele, Coordinator, USDA Southwest Climate Hub

Session 5: Working with Veterans and Registering Apprenticeships with the VA

We’ll discuss motivations to farm with veterans, what the veteran community looks like, and hear from veterans why they want to farm. Learn what benefits are available to vets and the process of registering your apprenticeship, along with the challenges of fitting it to the Veterans’ Administration requirements.

Margaret Yancey and her husband Gordon Tooley have owned and run Tooley’s Trees and Keyline Design, a small tree nursery in northern New Mexico since 1997. They specialize in fruit trees and drought tolerant trees and shrubs. They have hosted a New Agrarian Program apprentice since 2015 and registered their apprenticeship with the VA in 2018.

Monica joined the Quivira Coalition in 2017 to lead the New Agrarian Program, which partners with eleven ranches and farms across the West to host apprenticeships. She has worked on farms and dairies since 2004, raising produce, tree fruit, beef, pork, and eggs. She apprenticed on a CSA in rural Massachusetts, and for three years managed the farm and mentored apprentices at EarthDance Organic Farm School near St. Louis, Missouri.

Tooley’s Trees has mentored an apprentice in Quivira Coalition’s New Agrarian Program (NAP) since 2015, and just registered their apprenticeship with the New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Affairs in 2018. Since 1997, Quivira Coalition has worked to build resilience on western working landscapes, and has grown NAP from one apprenticeship in 2009 to partnering with eleven mentor operations in four states in 2018.


Session 6: Assessing Biodiversity for Support of Climate Resilience

Learn about a progression of activities and assessments that increasingly support biodiversity on the farm while buffering impacts from climate change. Each farm has a unique set of circumstances that allows it to begin to make changes along a continuum from simple to complex. Whether the need is for building better soil health and clean water, ensuring more complete pollination and effective pest control, or enhancing habitat for wildlife, the farm and the Earth can become more resilient by implementing biodiversity practices. Easy-to-use resilience indicators for functioning organic farm systems and ecosystems will be shared.

Jo Ann Baumgartner, the executive director of Wild Farm Alliance (WFA), promotes a healthy viable agriculture that protects and restores wild Nature. She is the author and editor of many conservation-based farm publications. Before joining WFA in 2001, she worked for other sustainable agricultural nonprofits, and was an organic farmer for over a decade. She has a keen interest in the conservation of native species for their own sake, and the connections between farms and the larger ecosystem.

S E S S I O N S

Thanks to Farm Credit, we have several scholar-ships available for farmer registrations. Please send an email to Sage Faulkner, [email protected], with name, 250 word (or less) expla-nation of why you would benefit from the schol-arship, economic need, what your experience is, and how it benefits you. If chosen, you will be given a full registration, paid for by Farm Credit of New Mexico.

Lunch MenuSaturday,February 16th

New Mexico Organic FarmingConference 2019

Organic Salad Raspberry Vinaigrette

Beef Enchiladas OR

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Organic Cheese

Served with: Calabacitas made with Organic Squash,

Corn & Green ChileOrganic Rice and Beans

Dessert:

Organic Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with

NM Pecan Pieces


CO

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Saturday, February 16

Friday, February 15


Saturday, February 16

Friday, February 15


2003 Friend of Organic Agriculture:

Bruce Gollub and Leah Morton

2004 Friend of Organic Agriculture: Connie Falk

2006Friend of Organic Agriculture: Ron Walser

Farmer of the Year: Sharlene Grunerud and Michael Alexander

2007Friend of Organic Agriculture: Sarah Grant

Educator of the Year: Carol SutherlandFarmer of the Year:

Molly and Antonio ManzanaresGood Earth Award: Betty and Walt Lea

2008Friend of Organic Agriculture: Marsha Mason,

Del Jimenez, Craig MapelEducator of the Year: Gordon TooleyFarmer of the Year: Sally HarperGood Earth Award: Johnny Lieb

2009 Friend of Organic Agriculture: La Montanita Coop,

Le Adams, Joanie Quinn Educator of the Year: Les Crowder

Farmer of the Year: Norma and Dosi AlvarezGood Earth Award: Trenton Wann and Barbara Hawn

2010Friend of Organic Agriculture: Brett Bakker

Educator of the Year: Ron GodinFarmer of the Year: Nancy Coonridge

Good Earth Award: Nolina Bryant

2011 Friend of Organic Agriculture: Miley Gonzales

Educator of the Year: Nancy FloresFarmer of the Year: Don Bustos

Good Earth Award: Christina and Tomas Apodaca

2012 Friend of Organic Agriculture: Silver City

Food Co-op Educator of the Year: Tess GrasswitzFarmer of the Year: Sage and Shane Faulkner

Good Earth Award: Steve Heil

2013Friend of Organic Agriculture: Monte Skarsgard

Educator of the Year: John Idowu, Kulbhushan Grover, Mark UchanskiFarmer of the Year:

Loretta and David FresquezGood Earth Award: Amanda and Eli Burgione

2014Friend of Organic Agriculture: Cid Backer,

Patrick TorresEducator of the Year: Robin Seydel

Farmer of the Year: Heidi Eleftheriou

Good Earth Award: Lorenzo CandelariaYoung Farmer: Mike DeSmet

2015Friend of Organic Agriculture:

Colleen and Fred HinkerEducator of the Year: Deb Ingersoll

Farmer of the Year: Johnny McMullin

Good Earth Award: Mesa RuizYoung Farmer of the Year:

Brittanie Lynch and Derek Jones

2016Friend of Organic Agriculture: Michael Diaz

Farmer of the Year: Mary and Tom DixonEducator: Joran Viers

Good Earth: Abe Froese Young: Nery Martinez


Trudi and John KretsingerFarmer of the Year:

Jamie and Katy KulesaEducator: Joseph Alfaro

Good Earth: Deborah Snyder and Mark NelsonYoung Farmers: Joseph and Melissa Marcoline


Gordon Tooley and Margaret YanceyFarmer of the Year: Gary Gundersen

Educator: Ron Boyd and Billy KniffinGood Earth: Charles Mallery and Rebecca Allina

Young Farmer: Sean Ludden

C O N F E R E N C E AWA R DE E S


After the Luncheon on Saturday the ENTIRE meeting area is available for your needs! Please check at the registration table so that we can include your group for announcements.

• Join Laurie at a grassroots seed stewards network, and Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, discussion for the Santa Fe Seed Summit which will be February.

• Students in the UNM Masters in Public Health Program will dis-cuss organic agriculture and local food systems in New Mexico from a public health perspective that addresses research, practice and policy. Topics include school gardens, farmers markets, native food systems and community resiliency.

• Several groups will be meeting – please check at the registration table to see the full list of groups and topics meeting. If you want to meet during this time, please schedule with Sage. There are several meeting areas available!

Outside DemonstrationsFriday at 1:30 in the parking area.

• During the Demonstrations, Dr. Robert Flynn will be demonstrating water salinity meters for those interested. A lot of irrigation waters are declining in quality and Dr. Flynn will share how important this test is. The new guide on water quality coming out and may be available by the conference, if not, Dr. Flynn will share on how to get it. Dr. Flynn will also have on hand some water samples from different areas along with lab results.

• Come look at the newest in Hops Harvesting Technology! Small-scale Mechanical Hops Picker Demonstration, Kevin Lombard, Jason Thomas and Beth Lashell, NMSU/ASC Farmington and Fort Lewis College. The Hopster 5G (gasoline engine) and 5P (PTO driven) were acquired with support from the NMDA to expand research activities based at the NMSU Ag Science Center at Farmington and at Fort Lewis College, “Old Fort” at Hesperus, Co and to catalyze a hop cooperative that could support a growing and thriving local craft beer economy.

• Interested in smaller tractors built for row-crop farming? Join staff from the NMSU Sustainable Agricultural Science Center at Alcalde as they demonstrate this tractor and talk about the implements that they are using in their smaller row-crop plots. David Archuleta, NMSU at Alcalde, will be on hand to demo the small tractor and answer questions you might have. This is a great demo to check out if you are thinking about a small tractor purchase.

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that functions through competitive grants conducted cooperatively by farmers, ranchers, researchers and agriculture professionals to advance farm and ranch systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities. Western SARE (WSARE), serves farmers and ranchers and their support organizations in the Western states

https://aces.nmsu.edu/programs/sare/.John Idowu, [email protected] Walker, [email protected]

The New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program provides up to $20,000 of technical assistance, unavailable anywhere else, to help New Mexican small businesses solve critical chal-lenges. Assistance is provided in the form of access to expertise, capabilities, capacities, and technical assistance from Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories. This assistance is provided at no cost the business. New Mexican companies from a wide range of industries have used the New Mexico Small Business Assis-tance program to overcome challenges through activities such as evaluation of prototypes in order to acquire venture capital funding; solving complex technical challenges so they could begin manufacturing a product; realizing cost savings via supply chain analysis; and gaining new customers through market and business analysis. Qualifying New Mexico small businesses are eligible to receive assistance equivalent to $10K (Bernalillo Co.) and $20K (outside Bernalillo Co.) annually per small business. The program does not provide cash or equipment to small businesses. If you are interested in learning more or have questions please visit www.nmsbaprogram.org. Requests for assistance are cur-rently being accepted!

This brochure is printed with black ink on newsprint so it can be composted after use. Please add it to your pile!

http://www.nmsbaprogram.org/

http://www.nmsbaprogram.org/individual_assistance_form

http://www.nmsbaprogram.org/individual_assistance_form


Bernalillo CountyJohn Garlisch, Agriculture [email protected] 1510 Menaul NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107 • 505.243.1386Catron CountyTracy Drummond, County Program Dir/Ag [email protected] Main Street (Mail to: PO Box 378)Reserve, NM 87830 • 575.533.6430Chaves CountySandra Key Barraza, County Program Dir/Ag [email protected] E Chisum #4, Roswell, NM 88203 • 575.622.3210Cibola CountyChase Elkins, Agriculture [email protected] West High Street, Grants, NM 87020 • 505.287.9266Colfax CountyBoe Lopez, County Program Dir/Ag [email protected] N. 3rd Street (Mail to P.O. Box 370)Raton, NM 87740 • 575.445.8071Curry CountyVacant, County Program Director818 Main Street, Clovis, NM 88101 • 575.763-6505De Baca CountyAspen Achen, County Program Director/Ag [email protected] N. 1st St (Mail to: P.O. Drawer E)Fort Sumner, NM 88119 • 575.355.2381Dona Ana CountyJeff Anderson, Agriculture [email protected] N. Solano, Suite M, Las Cruces, NM 88001 • 575. 525.6649Eddy CountyWoods Houghton, County Program Dir/Ag [email protected] 1304 W Stevens, Carlsbad, NM 88220 • 575.887.6595Grant CountyJessica Swapp, Agricultural [email protected] N Silver Street, Silver City, NM 88061 • 575.388.1559

Guadalupe CountyVacant, County Program Director244 S 4th, Suite 110, Santa Rosa, NM 88435 • 575.472.3652Harding CountyVacant, County Program Dir/Ag Agent 35 Pine St (Mail to PO Box 156) Mosquero, NM 87733 • 575.673.2341Hidalgo CountyChase Shelton, Agricultural [email protected] E. 2nd Street, Lordsburg, NM 88045 • 575.542.9291Jicarilla Extension ServiceJesse LeFevre, Extension Associate [email protected] Drive (Mail to: P.O. Box 679)Dulce, NM 87528-0679 • 575.759.3530Lea CountyWayne Cox, County Program Director/Ag [email protected] 100 N Main, Suite 10-C, Lovington, NM 88260 • 575.396.2819Lincoln CountyMelanie Gutierrez, Ag [email protected] Central (Mail to: PO Box 217)Carrizozo, NM 88301 • 575.648.2311Los Alamos CountyCarlos Valdez, County Program [email protected] 20th Street, Suite A, Los Alamos, NM 87544 • 505.662.2656Luna CountyJack Blandford, County Program Director/Ag [email protected] 210 B Poplar St., Deming, NM 88030 • 575.546.8806McKinley CountyKathy Landers, County Program Dir/Ag [email protected] E. Hwy 66, PMB 470, Gallup, NM 87301 • 505.863.3432Mora CountyVacant, County Program Director/Ag AgentP.O. Box 390, Mora, NM 87732 • 575.387.2856Otero CountySidney “Sid” Gordon, Ag Agent • [email protected] Fairgrounds Road, Alamogordo, NM 88310 • 575.437.0231

Quay CountyJason Lamb, Ag [email protected] E Center St. (Mail to: P.O. Drawer B)Tucumcari, NM 88401 • 575.461.0562Rio Arriba CountyDonald Martinez, Ag [email protected] Event Center, State Rd 554, House #122-A(Mail to: HCR 77, Box 9), Abiquiu, NM 87510 • 505.685.4523Roosevelt CountyPatrick Kircher, Ag [email protected] East Lime St. (mail to: P.O. Box 455)Portales, NM 88130 • 575.356.4417Sandoval CountyLynda Garvin, Agriculture/Horticulture [email protected] S. Camino del Pueblo (Mail to: P.O. Box 400)Bernalillo, NM 87004 • 505.867.2582San Juan CountyBonnie Hopkins, Ag [email protected] S Oliver, Aztec, NM 87410 • 505.334.9496San Miguel CountyVacant, County Program Director20 Gallegos Road (Mail to: P.O. Box 2170 W Branch)Las Vegas, NM 87701 • 505.454.1497Santa Fe CountyTom Dominguez, Ag [email protected] Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM 87507 • 505.471.4711Sierra CountyVacant, County Program Director/Ag Agent2101 S. Broadway (Mail to: PO Box 631)Truth or Consequences, NM 87901 • 575.894.2375Socorro CountyJohn Allen, County Program Director/Ag [email protected] Neel Avenue NW, Socorro, NM 87801 • 575.835.0610Taos CountyTony Valdez, County Program Director/Ag [email protected] 202 Chamisa Road, Taos, NM 87571 • 575.758.3982Torrance CountyVacant, County Program Director/Ag Agent205 9th & Allen (Mail to: P.O. Box 168)Estancia, NM 87016 • 505.544.4333Tri-State Navajo Extension ServiceGerald Moore, Coordinating [email protected] 264, Dept. of Ag., D121 (Mail to: PO Box 1339)St. Michaels, AZ 86511 • 505.870.0827Union CountyTalisha Valdez, Ag [email protected] 100 Court St. (Mail to: P.O. Box 428)Clayton, NM 88415 • 575.374.9361Valencia CountyJasper McCarty, Ag [email protected] Courthouse Rd., Los Lunas, NM 87031 505.565.3002

C OU N T Y C O O P E R AT I V E E XT E N S I O N S






























Jeff M. Witte, Director/Secretary575-646-3007 • [email protected]

Anthony J. Parra, Deputy Director575-646-3702 • [email protected]

Kristie Garcia, Public Information Officer/Media Relations/Events575-646-2804 • [email protected]

Agricultural BiosecurityDivision includes:Emergency Support Function (ESF) 11 Food ProtectionFood SafetyFood DefenseFood SecurityNew Mexico Food Protection AllianceRapid Response Team

Kelly Hamilton, Division Director575-646-3007 • [email protected]

Industry and Agency ProgramsDivision includes:New Mexico Water Quality Control CommissionVarious FDA and USDA related issues

Larry J. Dominguez, Division Director575-646-8955 • [email protected]

Inspection of Public RecordsAnthony J. Parra, Custodian of Public Documents Larry J. Dominguez, Co-Custodian of Public Documents575-646-3007Email public record requests to: [email protected]

Agricultural and Environmental ServicesDivision includes:Entomology and Nursery IndustriesPesticide Compliance

Brad Lewis, Division Director575-646-3207 • [email protected]

Irene King, Assistant Director Pesticide Compliance575-646-2134 • [email protected]

Agricultural Production ServicesDivision includes:Feed, Seed and FertilizerProduce SafetyDairy

Dustin Cox, Division Director575-646-3107 • [email protected]

Vacant, Assistant Director Feed, Seed, and Fertilizer

Agricultural Programs and ResourcesDivision includes:Acequia and Community Ditch Fund

Endangered Species and WildlifeFarm and Range Improvement Fund ActivitiesFederal Rangelands and ForestsGeographic Information SystemNatural Resources and Environmental QualityNoxious Weed ManagementSoil and Water Conservation DistrictsWater and Natural ResourcesWatershed Protection

Julie Maitland, Division Director575-646-2642 • [email protected]

Laboratory DivisionDivision includes:Metrology LaboratoryPetroleum Standards LaboratoryState Seed LaboratoryState Chemist Laboratory

Tim Darden, Division Director575-646-1551 • [email protected]

Marketing and DevelopmentDivision includes:Chef Ambassador ProgramDomestic Marketing and DevelopmentFood and Beverage Industry Support and DevelopmentFruit and Vegetable Inspection ServiceGlobal Marketplace DevelopmentInternational Marketing and DevelopmentMarket News ProgramMexico Marketing and Trade NEW MEXICO–Grown with TraditionNEW MEXICO–Taste the TraditionOrganic Program

David Lucero, Division Director575-646-4929 [email protected]

Standards and Consumer ServicesDivision includes:Regulatory ComplianceStandards and Consumer Services:Chile Advertising ActEgg Grading Act ActivitiesPetroleum StandardsWeighmaster Act LicensingWeights and Measures Weights and Measures Registered Service Establishments

David Turning, Division [email protected]

Raymond Johnson, Assistant DirectorConsumer [email protected]

Veterinary Diagnostic ServicesDr. Tim Hanosh, DVM, Division Director1-800-432-9110 • 505-383-9299 [email protected]

N EW M E X I C O DE PA RTM E N T O F A G R I C U LT U R E

Quivira and the National Young Farmers Coalition Present

Fri, Feb. 15 | 6 - 8pmSalon D & E | Hotel Albuquerque

Details & RSVP @ quiviracoalition.org/careerconnection

Beer Food Music Conversation

Winter Farm Social& Career Connection








Mil Gracias to the following benefactors whose generous support has made this conference possible.

Friends of Organic Agriculture:New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau

Thornburg FoundationFarm Credit of New Mexico

Sponsors:La Montanita Co-op Natural Foods Market

Rocky Mountain Farmers Union & Farmers Union Service Association

Contributors:Fred Porter, Farm Bureau Financial Services

Ricon-Vitova InsectariesWildhood Farm

And, thanks to the donors listed below for making our delicious organic lunch

and snacks possible. Please return their support when you can.

Armijo FarmAroma Organic Coffee

Bueno FoodsCid’s Food Market

Coonridge Organic Goat CheeseDel Valle Organic Pecans

Heidi’s Organic Raspberry JamHorizon Dairy

La Montanita Cooperative Distribution CenterNature’s Way Dairy LLC

Organic Valley Family of FarmsRed Rock Roasters Organic Coffee

Seco SpiceSweetgrass Cooperative Grass-fed Beef

Taos Roasters Organic CoffeeToucan Market

Veritable Vegetable


Zach and Jasmine Cecelic of Wildhood Farm have gladly provided the Earth Steward Award for the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference for the past five years. As funtional art made from locally salvaged and re-used materials, these pollinator hotels provide nesting habitat for many different native pollinators. Happy to support anyone who cares for the land, Wildhood Farm provides these pollinator hotels to care for the pollinators that care for the farmers - and their crops!

Sharlene Grunerud has been growing and painting the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference award gourds for over 25 years. Sharlene and her husband Michael Alexander, 2006 New Mexico Organic Farmers of the Year, farm in the Mimbres Valley in southern New Mexico where the ancient Mimbreno Indians left behind a vast amount of their geometric and some times whimsical, black on white pottery from which the gourd designs originate.




HARD WATER?EASY SOLUTION!

Zeta Core Catalytic Water ConditionerNo Salt/Potassium/

Chemicals/Maintenance

Replaces Salt Softeners

Dissolves and RemovesMineral Scale

Residential • Agriculture • CommercialSave 20 - 40%

On Irrigation Water

Water Lady

[email protected]

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The 2019 New Mexico Organic Farming Conference:an annual opportunity for farmers, ranchers and researchers from around the

Southwest to share their experiences and expertise. Please join us!

Friday, February 15 – 7:00 am to 8:00 pmSaturday, February 16 – 7:00 am to 5:00 pm

Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town800 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104

Conference OrganizersNew Mexico Department of Agriculture :: Stacy Gerk & Ive Eddy

New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service :: Patrick TorresFarmer Representative :: Joseph Marcoline, Walking Trout Farm

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau Federation :: Chad Smith & Valerie HuertaSage Faulkner, Facilitator

NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (NMDA) is an agriculture producer/consumer service and regulatory department under New Mexico State University (NMSU). NMDA’s Director/Secretary, Jeff Witte also serves on the Governor’s Cabinet. The department has six divisions: Agricultural and Environmental Services, Agricultural Programs and Resources, Dairy, Marketing and Development, Standards and Consumer Services, and Veterinary Diagnostic Services. The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is the home of New Mexico’s Organic Program, providing certification services and support for organic farmers, ranchers and processors. [email protected] or http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/marketing/organic-program/

NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERISTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE is the educational outreach arm of NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Backed by state and federal funding, Extension is a cooperative effort between NMSU and county governments. Extension faculty are located in all 33 New Mexico counties and three tribal offices to address your needs in the areas of animal resources, 4-H and youth development, home economics, rural economic development and plant sciences. We provide the latest information in publications, workshops, demonstrations and one-on-one consultations. www.aces.nmsu.edu

NEW MEXICO FARM & LIVESTOCK BUREAU Established in 1917, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau is the Voice of agriculture in New Mexico. As the largest agricultural organization in New Mexico we are a leader in policy development, advocacy and educational outreach. Our goal is to ensure a successful future for agriculture through promotion of local foods, protection of private property rights and access to agricultural water, and preservation of the customs and culture of agriculture. We offer several leadership development programs including Young Farmers and Ranchers, Collegiate Farm Bureau and our Women’s Leadership Program. Additionally, our New Mexico Ag in the Classroom outreach initiative offers curriculum and demonstrations to teachers state-wide as we spread awareness of the importance and value of New Mexico agriculture. Join us at www.nmflb.org.

WALKING TROUT FARM Joseph (Joe) Marcoline and his wife Loe own and operate a 16-acre organic vegetable farm in northern New Mexico. The farm is located in a remote area at an elevation of ~6,400 feet and is fed by a small high-quality spring. Joe has designed both gravity and pumped irrigation systems for their farm as well as several other small farms. He has also developed passive and active greenhouse monitoring, watering and heating systems using renewable resources. Joe has worked close to 20 years in education, mine restoration and agriculture. He has worked as an Assistant Professor at Northern New Mexico College, an Adjunct Professor at New Mexico Tech and as a hydrogeologist for the NM Environment Department and the EPA. Joe`s passion in designing and installing soil water monitoring systems and modeling water flux in in-situ, real life agricultural systems. He believes that understanding the local dynamics are essential to develop practical infrastructure and practices for small scale farms. Joseph is committed to inspiring students and other young farmers to observe the relationship between of our operational practices and our water resources.


http://www.aces.nmsu.edu

http://www.nmflb.org/


Notes


Notes

New Mexico Organic Farming ConferenceNew Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau Foundation2220 North TelshorLas Cruces, NM 88011

Non-ProfitOrg. U S Postage

PAID Albuq, NM Permit. 1029

Return Service Requested

New Mexico Organic Farming Conference 2019

Friday, February 15& Saturday, February 16

HOTEL ALBUQUERQUE AT OLD TOWN

This brochure is printed with black ink on newsprint so it can be composted after use. After use, please add it to your pile!