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Local Food Events: September
2008
September Agriculture Collaborative meeting:
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September Agriculture Collaborative
Meeting: What can the new Farm Bill do for you, and other new resources for small and medium sized
growers/producers.
Speakers include:Mike McDow - USDA Rural Development, Craig Mapel - New Mexico
Department of Agriculture, Jeff Bader - NM Cooperative Extension
Service, Bruce Milne - UNM Sustainability Program, and Pam Roy - NM Food and Ag Policy Council. The meeting will be held on
Wednesday,
September 10th from 9 am to 10:30 am at the MRCOG offices located at 809 Copper Ave NW. For more information, contact Ann Simon at asimon@mrcog-nm.gov.
Other local food events in the community:
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The City of Albuquerque Open Space Division has organized the 1st Annual Urban Farm and
Harvest Festival to celebrate the
importance of our urban agricultural lands and open
spaces. It will be held on Saturday, September 27th from
2 pm - 7 pm at the Open Space Visitor Center. More information/directions
- It's time once
again for Lobo Growers Market, which will kick off on Tuesday,
September 23rd, from 10 am to 2 pm. The market is held on UNM Main
Campus at Cornell Plaza, located north of the UNM Bookstore and Pope
Joy Hall. For more information,
contact Rose Chavez at (505) 277-3325 or tranquilrose@yahoo.com.
In addition to the above events, there are
many other great events during the month of September! Check out our recent
blog article to see the full listing of upcoming events.
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Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance
Our local food feature this month is the Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance (SWGLA - pronounced "swigla"). SWGLA was formed in April of 2003 at the Quivira Coalition's 3rd Annual Conference, and serves a resource for
both producers and
consumers of grassfed livestock products. To find out more about this organization we talked with SWGLA's new director, Laurie Bauer.
What is the main
mission of your organization and who do you serve? SWGLA
is an
alliance of producers, consumers, land managers, conservationists, and
researchers. Our organization seeks
to improve human, ecological and animal health, and strengthen local
agricultural communities by educating producers and the public about
grassfed livestock products.
What varieties
of grassfed livestock does your organization represent and promote? We represent over 1000 family farms and
ranches in the four-corner states (NM, AZ, UT and CO). Our producers raise livestock in open
pastures where the animals forage freely, without the addition of chemical
fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics or animal byproducts. The livestock are raised using humane
methods and are not crowded into small feedlots or cages. Most of our producers raise cattle, but
some raise sheep, chickens, goats and other livestock.
What are some of
the benefits of grassfed livestock compared to conventional practices? The health benefits are
numerous - ranging from being lower in fat, cholesterol and calories, and higher in beta carotene (Vitamin A),
conjugated linoleic acid (CLA),
Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E which are important in reducing
cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and other life
threatening diseases. In addition,
the risk of infection by E. coli in
these products is virtually eliminated.
When people buy grassfed livestock products, they are supporting
local agriculture, small family
farms and ranches, humane animal husbandry and preservation of open space.
How do you
promote grassfed products to the public? In the past two years, through
partnerships with a variety of other organizations (The Quivira Coalition,
The Southwest Marketing Network, Farm to Table and Slow Foods), SWGLA has
held public tasting events in Santa Fe, Capitan, and Truth or Consequences
in which people come to sample a variety of grassfed livestock
products. These events have been
very successful, with many new "converted" customers who go on to purchase
products from our producers. These
events have engaged over 1500 people from throughout New Mexico and
beyond.
Thanks Laurie for the great information on how SWGLA is supporting our local family farms and
ranches! Anyone interested in becoming a SWGLA member or producer, or in donating to the organization can do so by contacting Laurie Bower, Director
at (505)231-3467or at info@swgla.org. Be sure to also check out their
website at
www.swgla.org for more information.
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World War II poster promoting home canning. (Photo
link)
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Preserving the Bounty
Think ahead to January of 2009. When you get a craving for fresh New Mexico peaches will your
desires go unanswered? Well, since they are not in season in January the answer is most likely yes - unless you planned ahead to
preserve!
Food preservation comes in a variety of forms and allows you not only to preserve the superb flavor but also the nutrients found in fresh local
produce. In addition to canning and freezing, you also can dehydrate, ferment, cure, or smoke the seasonal bounties of summer and fall.
Here are a few great resources to check out:
- The National Center for
Home Food Preservation has a great website that offers a variety of information on all types of food preservation. They also link to a free, self-paced online course on home food
preservation offered by the University of Georgia.
- The NMSU Cooperative Extension has guides to freezing or canning green
chile.
- Wikipedia has a great article on the various methods of food preservation.
- Penn State also has a series of preservation fact sheets/how to's for a variety of foods.
Take advantage of our current seasonal abundance and start preserving local foods today!
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Buying directly from growers is a great way to support our local food economy. |
Growing our Local Food Economy
If every household in the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area spent
just $10 dollars per week on locally grown New Mexico products, it
would generate over $178 million dollars annually for local
agriculture*. Wow! Just $10 dollars per week, per household, would generate substantial funding for local farmers, helping to keep our
agricultural lands in production.
How much do you spend per week locally grown foods? Tip: If you are not sure, start
a local food diary to document the amounts and types of local foods you purchase. It will not only help you to track your local food spending,
but it will also serve as a resource that you can look back to each year.
Here are a few simple ways you can increase your local food purchases:
- Spend at least $10 dollars per week on locally-grown foods, and encourage friends and family to
do the same.
- Visit at least 1 farmers market each week.
- Seek out locally-grown products at the grocery store, whether fresh, canned or frozen.
- Going out to eat? Choose a restaurant that serves local on the menu.
*Calculated with household population estimates, greater Albuquerque
metro-area, 2006 US Census.
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Don't forget to add locally-grown potatoes to your green chile stew!
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Recipe of the Month: Green Chile Stew
It's a classic dish that most New Mexico residents know how to cook, but we
wanted to feature it this month anyways. The reason we chose this regional dish is because it can be made with virtually all locally grown
ingredients that
are currently available from farmers markets, backyard gardens, and select grocery stores.
Here is what you need:
- 1 1/2 pounds of locally-raised chicken, beef, or pork. You can also use locally-grown
pinto beans as a vegetarian option.
- 1 local onion
- 3 to 4 local garlic cloves
- 8 to 10 local roasted green chiles
- 2 to 3 local potatoes
You also need some salt, and cumin can be added as well. These ingredients were taken from a
recipe
provided by
the NM Department of Agriculture.
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Mid-Region Council of Governments
Agriculture Collaborative
809 Copper Avenue, NW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Please contact us at localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov
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