March 2009
Savor the Flavor of Locally Grown Foods
by Phaedra Greenwood
The farmers’ market is as old as the fairytale “Jack and the Beanstalk,” where the boy traded the family cow for a handful of magic beans. Farmers’ markets became less popular when supermarkets came to town, but now, because of gas prices and concerns about food contamination and seed modification, farmers’ markets are springing up all over New Mexico.
Many greenhouse growers and truck garden farmers are growing and selling their own produce. It’s not just because they love to get their hands in the dirt and help plants grow, but also because it makes good sense.
Home Grown
In Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, she writes with garden savvy and the taste buds of a gourmet about how her family was changed by consciously choosing to eat food grown in the same place where they lived.
Kingsolver says, “Americans put almost as much fossil fuel into our refrigerators as our cars. We’re consuming about 400 gallons of oil a year per citizen—about 17 percent of our nation’s energy use—for agriculture, a close second to our vehicular use.” She is talking about oil for farm machines, synthetic fertilizers, packing and shipping. “Each food item in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles,” she writes. To reduce the nation’s oil gulping habit and help us become less energy-dependent, she suggests small changes in buying habits that can make big differences.
Except for items such as oil, coffee and sugar, New Mexico is only a few generations from total food growing independence. Many older New Mexicans recall how they grew up caring for vegetable gardens, feeding chickens and milking cows. The men in the family hunted and fished. Though they were poor, they concur that nearly everyone had enough to eat.
Experience and know-how are what it takes to continue to grow and store produce in the high mountain desert. Over the centuries, Native Americans have developed unique strains of seed that withstand frost and drought. In uncertain times, many people agree that it would be wise to preserve this knowledge, pass it on to newcomers and to the younger generation.
Red Willow Center
Technology has threatened organic farmers with unwanted seed modification, but has also improved gardening techniques. A greenhouse is the key to growing year round in the high mountain desert. At Taos Pueblo’s Red Willow Center they have built two large greenhouses with innovative heating systems. One uses a passive solar heating and cooling, and the other radiant ground and above-ground heating.
The Center has developed sun-powered irrigation and a water catchment system from the roof. In the yard nearby, they have set up their own farmers’ market with tables and built-in shade where Taos Pueblo farmers can sell their produce. Shawn Duran, educational divisional director at Taos Pueblo, says they are thinking of expanding the market to include small arts and crafts. Call 575-758-5990 for more information on the market.
A Rock and a Hard Place
Ten miles north of Taos Pueblo in Arroyo Hondo, Paul Cross built a 3,000 square foot greenhouse on top of the mesa. He “harvests” water all year round from the roof and stores it in 12,000 gallon water storage tanks. He calls his farm Charybda. “Charybda means between a rock and a hard place,” he says with a laugh. “Farming in New Mexico is always between a rock and a hard place.”
For 11 years now, Cross has grown flowers, herbs and vegetables. “But it’s only in the last few years that I’ve been making my living from what I grow,” he says.
What has changed? “Now I grow microgreens, so I have a product 52 weeks of the year,” he explains. Microgreens are small, new leaves for garnishes, soups and salads. Cross specializes in arugula, basil, radish, watercress, peas, and corn shoots.
One of his food products, “Chef’s Edition Mega Greens” is sold to health food stores and high-end restaurants all over the Southwest through a food distributor called SYSCO Foods of New Mexico. SYSCO has a special program called, “Born in New Mexico,” Cross says. To qualify for the program you have to be able to deliver consistent high quality products for a substantial period of time.
“SYSCO is working to save middle-sized farms all over New Mexico,” Cross says. “The big industrial farms are doing okay and so are the small gardeners, but farms in the middle like mine are disappearing at the rate of 20 percent a year. It’s becoming less and less efficient to truck food across the country, so smart companies build a relationship with local farmers.”
Charybda is known mainly for its delicious tomatoes. Cross grows 10 different varieties and researches online to improve his yield. “We go for the higher flavor, lower yield. We do heirloom and modern European varieties as well,” he says. He is especially interested in what Europeans are growing because, unlike some rural areas in America, they have not lost their small family farms, and have continued to breed tomatoes for the past 100 years.
Last year, Cross battled an insect pest that was imported into his greenhouse on a stock plant from California. “We didn’t know what it was at first,” he says, “when we discovered this insect, we tried to trap the adults, then spray the plants with an organic spray. But in the end we had to pull up the whole crop.”
He is philosophical about his losses. “If you can’t survive a crop failure, you shouldn’t be farming, especially not in New Mexico,” he says. He scouts the greenhouse weekly for insect pests and introduces eight new kinds of beneficial insects every month. “We’re certified organic. This is much healthier than using chemicals,” he says. Ever optimistic, Cross is already growing his new crop of tomatoes for the 2009 season.
Community Connections
One of the markets for Charybda is Taos Farmers’ Market. Eytan Salinger, business manager for Taos Farmers’ Market, says “it is open from May until the end of October on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the parking lot on Camino de la Placitas.”
“We’re a grass roots organization,” Salinger says. “The more markets, the better. We offer a large variety of vegetables and fruit, meat and dairy products, potted plants, dried flowers, eggs, honey, ristras, and baked goods that include three Pueblo bakeries.” They also provide invited entertainers—musicians and fortune tellers. Right now there is an active membership of 60, but week by week as the growing season progresses the market fluctuates from 20 to 50 vendors. Salinger says, “For authentic local farmers it’s an open door. You can almost just walk in. It’s as simple as showing up and setting up your table.”
Vendors pay a booth fee per day or a seasonal membership for 25 markets. Some of the money goes to the Farmers’ Marketing Association to pay for advertising, site manager expenses, and some goes to host various community and social service family outreach programs, such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
They also co-sponsor with Sustain Taos, a youth-farming internship program, that pays six youths to work on local farms. Salinger says, “We are interested in creating cross-community connections. How can we best serve our local farmer? That’s our biggest goal.” For more information, call Moss Joseph, site manager, at 575-741-7007.
Neighborly Roadside Stands
In the Dixon/Velarde area many locals grow vegetables and fruit as well as other farm products. They sell their apples, peaches, cherries, beautiful dried wreaths, and other products at colorful roadside stands along the Rio Grande. The Dixon/Velarde area has the highest altitude wine-producing vineyards in the state, with some fine local wineries.
The largest and most successful farmers’ market in the state is the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market which has recently found a permanent, year-round home in The Pavilion at the Railyard site, 1607 Paseo de Peralta at South Guadalupe Street. They are open every Saturday from 9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. Here customers can find fresh eggs, homemade cheeses, meats, baked goods, teas, crafts, and body care products. Shoppers can have breakfast or lunch at concession stands, and purchase cooking or gardening gifts. For more information, visit www.santafefarmersmarket.com.
Growing and selling farm produce to your neighbors, and buying food that is grown locally, is not only good for the environment but a fun way to build a healthy community.
New Mexico Farmers’ Markets
There are over 40 farmers’ markets in the state. Below are some farmers’ markets located in rural electric cooperative service areas. To find a market near you, and for a complete listing, call the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association at 1-888-983-4400, or visit www.farmersmarketsnm.org.
Jemez Farmers' Market
Red Rocks, Highway 4
Pojoaque Valley Farmers’ Market
78 Cities of Gold, Highway 84/285
Capitan Farmers' Market
115 Smokey Bear Boulevard
Clovis Farmers' Market
Corner of 4th and Pile
Deming 8th Street Marketplace
Grounds of Galleria, 8th Street
Dixon Co-op Farmers' Market
215 Highway 75
Moreno Valley Farmers' Market
1 block south of Eagle Nest, Highway 64
Edgewood Farmers' Market
1 Eunice Court
Española Farmers' Market
1005 N. Railroad Avenue
Maxwell Farmers' Market
3rd and Parque Street
Mora Valley Farmers' Market
Highway 518, Mile Marker 31
Portales Farmers' Market
W. 1st and Avenue B
Questa Farmers' Market
Highway 522
Ramah Farmers' Market
1/2 mile west of Ramah, Highway 53
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