New Mexico Organic Farming Conference announces 2019 award recipients

New Mexico Organic Farming Conference announces 2019 award recipients

(Albuquerque, New Mexico) – Eight individuals and one organization were recognized at the 2019 New Mexico Organic Farming Conference (NMOFC) last month. The Southwest’s largest organic agricultural gathering, the conference provided the opportunity for 550 attendees to gain valuable knowledge on topics including water conservation, seed saving and variety development, wholesale markets, organic farming, soil health and more. The conference was Feb. 15-16 in Albuquerque.

Following is a list of award recipients:

The Organic Young Farmer Award, Lisa Anderson and Jim Benson

Lisa Anderson and Jim Benson began growing a mixed garden of seasonal fruits, vegetables and fruit trees on their small farm in Abiquiu in 2013. Selling under the name Malandro Farm, their primary sales outlet is the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, though they recently expanded their operation to include the Taos Farmers Market. Anderson and Benson focus on providing their customers with the freshest food possible while striving to ensure that the land is continually improving its soil health and biological diversity through the use of cover crops, green manure, compost and crop rotation. This award is sponsored by the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau–Chad Smith and Farm Bureau Financial Services–Fred Porter.

Educator of the Year Award, Mary Lucero and Jasmine and Zach Cecelic

Mary Lucero is a New Mexico native who received her doctorate in molecular biology and toxicology from New Mexico State University in 1997. As a scientist, she conducted research in chile, native range and medicinal plants, and the discovery and characterization of plant microbiomes. She recognizes that science in the absence of public input has contributed to a failing food system that is impacting public health and disabling the rural economies that produce our food. In 2013, she left her career with USDA and opened End-O-Fite Enterprises LLC in order to rebuild food systems by changing the way we think about microbes, dirt, food, health and the economics that drive our communities. Through End-O-Fite, Lucero educates growers, consumers and health care providers through on-site workshops and online classes that tackle soil health and human nutrition.

Jasmine and Zach Cecelic are the owners of Wildhood Farm located in Truchas, a small community in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. They host workshops and events aimed to help people understand their role as farmers and land stewards. They concentrate on rediscovering ancient farming methods and use native plants and seeds on their high elevation arid farm. Holistic beekeeping, wildlife habitat creation, water conservation and sustainable self-sufficiency are all in the scope of what they hope to share with others. 

Friend of Organic Agriculture Award, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau and Stacy Gerk

For over 100 years, the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau has been a voice of agriculture in New Mexico, advocating for farm and ranch families, rural communities, and those interested in protecting private property rights. Crop and livestock improvement, taxation and legislation, and irrigation and grazing rights issues have remained its focus. Food producers recognize the value in an organization working on their behalf and acting as an influential voice, both on the state and national level. As they surpass 19,000-member families, the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau strives to support and advocate for agriculture as it provides for families now and in the future.

Current New Mexico Department of Agriculture Organic Program supervisor Stacy Gerk has been a longtime member of the NMOFC Planning Committee and is dedicated to the success of organic farmers in New Mexico. He initially began working for NMDA as a part-time survey field aide and later a fruit and vegetable inspector. He began working as a full-time fruit and vegetable inspector in 1994 and became the supervisor for the fruit and vegetable inspection program in 2004. He became the organic program supervisor in 2011.

Good Earth Steward Award, Heather Harrell

This award is presented to an organic farmer who exemplifies caring stewardship of the land and has a deep understanding of the principles of organic agriculture. Heather Harrell has been farming organically since she was a teenager. She began by growing cut flowers, moved on to mixed vegetables and eventually focused her business on growing medicinal herbs and raising honeybees. Throughout her career, Harrell has raised a wide variety of animals for meat and dairy and has maintained beehives for pollination. She has worked with Partners for the Americas Farmer to Farmer program to share knowledge with farmers in Jamaica, worked with Western SARE to develop her farm into a pollinator forage demonstration site and has written a book on Topbar beekeeping with Les Crowder. Harrell has also designed and built a straw bale solar thermal home with the help of permaculture teachers and students. She spent years marketing her products at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, and served as the president of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market board for a year and a half. 

Organic Farmer of the Year Award, Greg Nussbaum

Greg Nussbaum is the business and farm director of Camino de Paz School & Farm, located in Santa Cruz. The private Montessori middle school serves grades 7-12, and delivers a hands-on approach to education. Students are given the opportunity to aid in operating a goat dairy and produce farm, supplying products to grocery stores and farmers markets in Albuquerque. Students also act as the farm’s bookkeepers, accountants, salespeople, marketers and purchasers. The pre-collegiate Montessori program is based on an Erdkinder, or ‘Earth school’ approach, which encourages the idea that children thrive on land-based learning. The school is one of the first of its kind to open and serve as a model of this basis of learning.

Alongside conference facilitator Sage Faulkner, the conference was organized through a collaboration between the NMDA’s Organic Program, the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau and Walking Trout Farm.

The keynote speaker for the conference was Ron Rosmann of Rosmann Family Farms. The Rosmann family has been dedicated to organic farming for 30 years and received the 2018 Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Services Organic Farmer of the Year Award.

For more information about the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference, email sagefaulkner@yahoo.com, call 505-490-2822 or visit www.nmofc.org.

NMSU to host artificial insemination workshop in Los Lunas

NMSU to host artificial insemination workshop in Los Lunas
DATE: 03/18/2019
WRITER: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu
CONTACT: Craig Gifford, 575-646-6482, cgifford@nmsu.edu
New Mexico State University Southwest Beef Reproductive Management Program is launching a new artificial insemination school to help cattlemen manage their reproductive program.

“AI is a largely under-utilized technology in New Mexico,” said Craig Gifford, NMSU Extension beef cattle specialist. “There has been a really big misconception that AI is just for dairy cattle, and isn’t used in a big pasture situation. But there are big ranches that use it and continue to use it, indicating that AI is profitable in this type of production system.”

The next NMSU AI School will be in Los Lunas from April 10-12, at Southwest Event Center on State Highway 6, west of Los Lunas. The course will be taught by Gifford; Marcy Ward, NMSU Extension livestock specialist; and other NMSU Extension specialists and agents.

“There will be classroom presentations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, April 10-11, and hands-on palpating of cows on Friday, April 12,” said Newt McCarty, NMSU Extension’s Valencia County agricultural agent. “This is a great opportunity for cattlemen to learn this breeding method.”

Topics during the two-day classroom session will include female cow reproductive anatomy, estrus-synchronization and semen handling.

“We will practice handling of the semen straws from the nitrogen tank to thaw unit,” Gifford said. “We will have actual cow reproductive organs for the participants to see the anatomical structures and understand how AI works. Plus, we will use our cow model to practice the AI procedures.”

The third day, participants will put into action what they learned in the classroom as they work with live cows.

Registration fee is $285, which includes an ABS Artificial Insemination handbook. Contact McCarty at 505-565-3002 before April 1 to register. Alternatively, visit nmbeef.nmsu.edu for online enrollment. For those who attended Tucumcari AI school, the one-day, hands-on workshop is $185.

“This type of program taught in neighboring states runs $500-plus, but we are trying to keep costs as low as we can,” said Gifford. “The handbook itself is worth this registration fee. The participants will be able to take it home as a reference manual.”

Besides providing all of the teaching material, ABS Global, a world leader in providing bovine genetics, reproduction services and technologies, has donated the equipment for the school, such as the semen tanks, thawing units, practice semen straws and guns.

“We can’t thank ABS Global enough for their contribution,” Gifford said. “Without their generosity, it would have been very difficult to host these schools.”

This is the second AI school NMSU has held this year. The first was in Tucumcari Feb. 26-27.

“We have added the hands-on palpating day to the Los Lunas school, because we have access to live cows thanks to all the help from the folks at the SW Event Center,” Gifford said. “Anyone who attended the Tucumcari school can attend Friday to practice on cows.”

There are several reasons for a producer to use AI to breed their cow herd.

“It is a way to minimize the cost for smaller herd operators while getting some of the best genetics in the world without having to buy a bull,” Gifford said. “It can also be used if the producer wants to change direction of the breeding program by selecting genetics specific for the desired results.

“It is also a way to utilize terminal crosses in this arid environment. You might be able to use a bull through AI that you would not necessarily want to keep the daughters of, but it might improve the calf’s muscle and frame score and make them more marketable. Additionally, the benefits of getting cows calving earlier in the season can increase profitability in both fall-weaned market calves and replacement females.”

Another reason is to control bovine Trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease.

“In trich-prone areas of the state, this might be a management tool,” Gifford said. “A pregnant cow can’t catch trich. So having her bred before release to graze in areas where she could come in contact with an infected bull will help prevent the disease from spreading.”

After evaluating the participation demands at the Tucumcari and Los Lunas schools, Gifford hopes to offer this program at other locations around the state. “If the demand is there, we will continue to host these schools. Get in contact with your local County Extension Office and let them know if you are interested.”
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USDA Celebrates National Ag Day with New Youth Website

USDA Celebrates National Ag Day with New Youth Website

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2019 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture joins the nation in celebrating National Ag Day, which highlights agriculture’s crucial role in everyday life, and honors the farmers, foresters, scientists, producers and many others who contribute to America’s bountiful harvest. As part of this effort, USDA is launching a new Youth and Agriculture website to connect young people and youth-serving organizations with Department-wide resources that engage, empower, and educate the next generation of agricultural leaders.

“The future of agriculture in America depends on the investment and involvement of America’s young people,” said Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “Connecting with America’s youth on National Ag Day is a tremendous opportunity to show that careers in farming, the agricultural sciences, and veterinary medicine are rewarding, essential, and profitable.”

The USDA Youth and Agriculture website features three key components of agriculture-focused youth engagement – classroom studies, experiential learning, and leadership training. Educators can find ways to include agriculture in the classroom and beyond. Young people can learn about USDA summer outreach programs, youth loans for business projects, and outdoor volunteering. Community leaders can get tips on starting leadership development clubs and education programs. The site also highlights USDA partners, such as 4-H, the National FFA Organization, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Agriculture Future of America (AFA), and many others working with the Department to connect young people with opportunities in agriculture.

For the career curious, the website provides information on internships and scholarships, USDA employment, and information on agriculture career fields, such as forestry, robotics engineering, biochemistry, and food sciences. Storytelling will help young people learn from peers about youth-led innovations and success stories in agriculture.

Morgan Nelson

NELSON, MORGAN- Rejoice! Morgan Nelson finished his time on this earth and went to be with the Lord on March 1, 2019, at the age of 99 years and 5 months. He was born in Cottonwood, New Mexico on September 27, 1919, to Fred M and Florace Morgan Nelson. The family moved to East Grand Plains where he attended school thought eighth grade. He graduated from Roswell High School in 1937.
Nelson graduated from the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, now New Mexico State University, in 1941 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
The United States Army Air Corps needed graduate engineers. The Surge of patriotism along with some urging from Uncle Sam had Nelson joining up in July of 1941. He served five years in World War II, in the Middle East Theater and Europe. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean conflict. He finished his Air Force career with the rank of Colonel after 20 years’ service in the US Air Force Reserve.
Upon his return from World War II, Nelson took up farming with his father at their Cottonwood and East Grand Plains farms. Farming was his primary occupation for the rest of his life. His grandparents had arrived in Roswell on Christmas Eve of 1887. The East Grand Plains farm had been originally operated by his uncle starting in 1895.
In 1949, Nelson ran for the New Mexico State Legislature. He served 12 years. He specialized in state finance, serving as Chairman of the Appropriations and Finance Committee in 1957. He served as Chairman of the Bored of Educational Finance. It was created to get higher education finance out of politics. He considered his most important achievement in his legislative career to be the proposal and enactment of the law establishing a junior-college system for New Mexico. He was active in the establishing of Eastern New Mexico University- Roswell at the former walker Air Force Base.
After his legislative career, he concentrated on farming and the improvement of cotton in New Mexico. He served over 20 years on the Cotton Incorporated ( CI ) Board of Directors. He was president of the 1517 Cotton Association. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Southwestern Irrigated Cotton Growers ( SWIG ). Always interested in the improvement of cotton, he was active in the NMSU Collage of Agriculture’s actives in cotton research and promotion. He served on the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching ( CARET). He was known as “Mr. Cotton” of New Mexico and was among the first five inductees into the Cotton’s Hall of Fame in 2014.
Nelson received many awards, among them, the James F. Cole Memorial Award for Service, and an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree, both from NMSU. In 2018 the Roswell Board of Realtors named him Citizen of the Year.
He was a member of First Baptist Church of Roswell. As a Rotarian, he received the Paul Harris award. He was a member of the Roswell Masonic Lodge No. 18, and he served as the Flood Commissioner of Chaves County until the day he died.
Nelson was active in the revival of the Historical Society of Southeastern New Mexico and served as its first museum chairman. His interest in local history and his specific interest in water history led him to do extensive research and writing on both subjects. He also wrote of his World War II experiences. He served on the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock heritage Museum as well.
He married Joyce LaSuer Walsh Nelson in 1950. She passed away in 2008 after 58 years of marriage. They have three daughters, Margo Eichwald, Ann Houghtaling, and Jane McLaughlin, seven grandchildren and numerous great and great-great-grandchildren.
Preceding him in death are his parents, his only sister Laurene Eastham and her husband David, nephew Robert Allen Eastham and grandson Stephen Houghtaling.
Before her passing, he and Joyce established two endowed scholarships, one with the NMSU Foundation and one with the ENMU-R Foundation. Subsequently, he established and endowed a fund with the Historical Foundation of Southeastern New Mexico.
Pallbearers will be Luke Davis, Ricardo Eichwald, Esai Goitia, Allyson Houghtaling, Bryan Mager, Marc Reischman, Don Stevenson. Honorary Pallbearers will be Fred Nolan, Ihab Shalaby, and The Thursday Afternoon Coffee Group.
A Viewing will be held Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at LaGrone Funeral Chapel from 9:00AM- 8:00PM. Services will be held at First Baptist Church at the corner of Fifth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue at 2:00PM Thursday, March 7, 2019. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to one of his educational foundations. Morgan and Joyce Nelson Endowed Scholarship NMSU Foundation P.O. Box 3590 Las Cruces NM 88003-3590 payable to NMSU Foundation, Or ENMU-Roswell Foundation P.O. BOX 6000 Roswell NM 88202-6000.
Arrangements are under the personal care of LaGrone Funeral Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.lagronefuneralchapels.com

Morgan Nelson Services

Morgan Nelson passed.  His viewing at La Grone in Roswell, Wednesday March 6, 9 am to 8 pm the service will be at First Baptist Church, 500 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Roswell, NM, Thursday at 2.00 pm The obituary    has not been posted yet.  

Morgan lived a life that was always helping people, whether it was through agriculture, the college of ag, or just giving young folks a leg up and encouraging them.  He was a good friend and a good man to have on your side.  He was on the CART committee for years

He served in the US Army Air Corp, WWII, state Legislature, House of Representatives  1948-1962 and NM member to negotiate the Pecos River Compact. He worked until the very end with the Pecos Water Users Organization and water planning.   I was honored to have him as a friend.