Navigating Unprecedented Times
You are invited to join the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council at its upcoming virtual statewide meeting. The meeting will try to give participants a greater understanding of the implications of the federal reconciliation budget.
Monday, July 28th, 9am - 12 noon on Zoom
RSVP Here
(The following is a note that Pam Roy, executive director of Farm to Table and the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council sent to members/supporters of the two organizations in relation to the upcoming program)
We are living in unprecedented times. States across the country are bracing for the impacts of the federal cuts—and New Mexico is no exception. The reconciliation bill passed the House of Representative in the wee hours of July 4th, 218-214 after the Senate had passed it by one vote days before. The implications for New Mexico affect everything from food access, agriculture markets, to wind and solar energy. The New York Times in Print for Friday, July 4, 2025 - The New York Times.
What are the implications for New Mexico's nutrition programs, food assistance, and programs that benefit farmers and ranchers growing and raising food that benefits New Mexico's food access and local economies.? In FY2024, our state received close to $430 million in federal funding to support food, agriculture, and conservation programs. The federal cuts may force New Mexico to absorb significant additional costs.
Farm to Table and the New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council (NMFAPC) have been closely tracking these developments and analyzing the potential effects on our farmers, ranchers, families, and food system as a whole. This infographic highlights the potential consequences of these funding reductions.
The New Mexico Legislature's Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee and the Legislative Finance Committee have developed several documents to help provide some understanding of the federal budget and how it affects New Mexico, Federal Funds Overviewby Co-Chairs Representative Lundstrum and Senator Soules, presented May 28th and the Federal Budget Reconciliations Overview presented by Legislative Finance Committee, Chaarles Sallee, Director, July 1st, 2025.
New Mexico has a strong local food and agriculture sectors continue to provide a wide variety of agriculture products, of which close to 11 percent are produced and sold in New Mexico. The statewide "Food Initiative" has helped to build and expand efforts that focus on community food security, economic resilience for farmers and ranchers, value chain stabilization, and long-term financial benefits. As stated in the recent 2025 Food Initiative Progress Report, "Feeding New Mexico's Future: A Transformative Investment in Health, Agriculture and Economic Well-Being,"he Food Initiative that was launched in 2021 by more than 230 participants.organizations and agencies across the state, has focused on an integrated legislative approach resulting in a $213 million, three-year, multi-agency effort led by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham that has invested in New Mexico's food and agriculture systems and local communities.
We are deeply grateful to the many agencies, organizations, and the Office of the Governor for their continued support and for providing critical data to help us understand how state and federally funded programs serve New Mexicans. While our capacity to deliver timely updates is challenged, we remain committed to sharing accurate, consistent information so communities can make informed decisions.
Together with our legislators and executive leaders, we aim to forge a strong, unified path forward—one that honors the interconnected roles of state, federal, local, and tribal partners in supporting a resilient food system for all.
The Santa Fe New Mexican had a front page article on New Mexico "Farming: The Next Generation", July 6th, 2025, eNewMexican, (click news, pages 1 and 4) a two part segment on the agriculture workforce and what agriculture is to New Mexico. There will be an additional article July 7th, 2025.
The NM Food & Agriculture Policy Council will host its next statewide meeting either July 28th or 29th (by zoom). We'll send out a notice in the coming days.We hope for everyone's well-being in these changing times and will do our best to keep you posted on state and federal policy issues as they evolve over the coming weeks and months.
All the best,
Pam Roy
More Information from New Mexico Thrives
(via Tsiporah Nephesh)
The President signed the tax reconciliation bill on July 4. The new law will hurt the people we serve. An estimated 88,530 New Mexicans will lose Medicaid coverage starting in December 2026. An estimated 58,180 will lose SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits and another 463,359 New Mexicans will see SNAP benefits reduced. The timeline for the SNAP changes is unclear.
These changes will go into effect starting December 2026. The legislature has time to plan and prepare its response.
Other changes will have indirect results:
- 1% floor for charitable contributions by corporations
limits the incentive to give - Limits on itemized deductions
reduces the incentive for charitable giving - Tax on college and university endowments
decreases the financial resources for nonprofit colleges and universities - Permanently extends estate and lifetime gift taxes to $15 million for single filers/$30 million for married filing jointly in 2026
eliminates the incentive to make charitable donations to reduce taxes
See the full report from New Mexico Thrives
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Interfaith Hunger Coalition (New Mexico) @ihc-nm.bsky.social
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