The Aquaponics Project at First Presbyterian Church in #ABQ

 "In our aquagarden, our fish produce the fertilizer for the plants and the plants clean the water for the fish...We have donated over 30 bags of lettuce, basil, and arugula to St. Martin's Hospitality Center... excerpts from The Messenger newsletter (July 2017), First Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque

 In our four-part series on aquaponics in 2014, we learned  how communities in our country and in Haiti built aquaponics operations to grow vegetables and produce fish for local feeding operations.

The concept is simple. Combine aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants in water) to create an aquaponics garden. The nutrient-rich water from raising fish provides a natural fertilizer for the plants and the plants help to purify the water for the fish  "Aquaponics can be used to sustainably raise fresh fish and vegetables for a family, to feed a village or to generate profit in a commercial farming venture," said Nelson and Pade, manufacturer of aquponics kits.

Our series featured aquaponics operations in Milwaukee, St. Paul (Minnesota), and northwest Haiti. Part 2 examined an aquaponics operation closer to home in the Mesilla Valley in southern New Mexico. In 2016, we also published a separate piece on a creative effort to grow food,including aquaponics, in post-Katrina New Orleans. We now feature the efforts of a local faith community--First Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque--to develop its own aquaponics operation. 
___________________________________________________________________________
Learn About the Aquagarden at First Presbyterian Church

 At our next bimonthly meeting of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition.

Tuesday, November 14
First Presbyterian Church
(I-25 and Martin Luther King Blvd).
12:00 Noon 
The public is cordially invited
Brenda Sinfield, a member of the church's Mission Committee and Treasurer of the IHC, will lead a tour of the aquagarden.

__________________________________________________________________________

The History of the Project
It all started with an article that Pastor Matthew Miller found in The New York Times, entitled “The Spotless Garden” in the New York Times about how aquaponics could change gardening and food production. This led to extensive discussions in the Mission Committee about creating an aquagarden at First Presbyterian Church.

The project fit with two of the church's missions: to provide another alternative to address hunger in our city and to promote initiatives that address environmental protection and sustainability. One important consideration was that aquaponics uses 10 percent of the water needed to grow the same crop in soil; there are no fertilizers, pesticides; and there is year-round production

The discussions eventually led to the Mission Committee to propose the purchase of  an F5 aquaponics kit (Fantastically Fun Fresh Food Factory) from Nelson and Pade. The kit has the capacity to110 pounds of fish and over 1,000 heads of lettuce or other vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, spices, peppers, and more.

The project was finally launched in the summer 2016. "In our aquagarden, our fish produce the fertilizer for the plants and the plants clean the water for the fish," said an article in the  July 2017 issue of the church's monthly  newsletter The Messenger.

Managing the Aquagarden
The Garden Task Force (which included members of the Mission Committee and Rev. Miller) was given the task to set up the aquagarden. The operation was set up in a room in the ground floor of the church.

Volunteers were recruited to monitor water quality, check lights, harvest crops, and most importantly feed the fish.

According to Brenda Sinfield, a member of the task force, different groups at the church take turns with the various tasks needed to maintain the operation, especially the daily feedings of the first.  The,Library Committee feeds on Mondays, Sunbonnet on Tuesdays, Archives on Wednesdays, and Child's Garden on Thursdays and Fridays.

Other important tasks related to the fish are required.  "We need to drain some from the clarifier at least every other day and from the mineralization tank weekly., said Sinfield. "Water needs to be added at least weekly. Chemicals need to be tested weekly."

Five people are part of a task force to ensure that the operation runs smoothly. They include Joe Katzenberger, Bill Cobbs, Brenda Sinfield, Rev. Matthew Miller and Carolyn Rhodes.

In its first year, the aquagarden produced lettuce, arugula, basil, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, peas, sunflowers and, of course, tilapia.

The next step was to determine where to distribute the produce grown in the aquagarden. "We  donated over 30 bags of lettuce, basil, and arugula to St. Martin's Hospitality Center,' said the July issue of The Messenger.

The aquaponics operation also provides food for church activities. "For the Third-Week All-Church Fellowship Luncheon, which was also Father's Day, the tilapia were harvested and served as fish tacos," said the church newsletter.

What Comes Next?
The church plans to continue to provide greens for St. Martin's Hospitality Center and perhaps other operations around the city that need fresh produce to create healthy meals.

And now that First Presbyterian Church has succeeded in creating its own aquaponics project, the church is willing to serve as a resource for other faith communities and groups that want to set up similar facilities on the grounds of their church or temple.

There is also an ambitious plan for the facilities at First Presbyterian Church. "In the future, we hope to build greenhouses across the street and add fruit trees around," said The Messenger. "We hope to work with other educational groups to educate our friends and neighbors about aquaponics and how to grow their own healthy food."

Natural Foods Project in Silver City Embraces Mesquite Beans

Wikimedia Commons

The Native Foods Project at The Volunteer Center (TVC) of Grant County in Silver City is studying the benefits of mesquite beans and mesquite honey. The small desert tree has surprisingly nutritious properties. (Surprisingly, for those of us who who only thought of mesquite as a good source of wood). Did you know there are 40 species of mesquite trees in an area spanning from Texas to California (and all across northern Mexico)?

According to New Mexico State University,  a variety of mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr) is found in bottomland areas of the high plains and central plateau of our state, growing at elevations of 3,000 to 8,500 feet ."The plant is aggressive, adapted to a wide range of habitats, and extremely hardy.The leaves are grazed only when there is no other forage, but the beans are sought out and eaten avidly, presumably because of their high sugar and protein content," said NMSU

The trees produce beans that can be eaten in various forms. “When our provisions and coffee ran out, the men ate [mesquite beans] in immense quantities, and roasted or boiled them!” George W. Kendall wrote in his journal, describing how the men in the 1841 Texas Santa Fe Expedition kept themselves alive. Kendall is quoted by Ken E. Rogers in The Magnificent Mesquite).  Read more in DesertUSA

Wikimedia Commons

Part of the Native Diet in the Southwest
While the reliance of mesquite for those 1841 explorers might have come as an "accident," the  Papago, Pima, Chemehuvi,Yuman, Cocopa, Mohave and Cahuilla peoples of Arizona and California used the mesquite beans and many other parts of the tree (bark, leaves, thorns, sap) in their daily lives.

"But it was the mesquite pod, with its nutritious, bittersweet pulp, that provided the greatest benefit to indigenous desert peoples. They collected pods each fall, often eating many of them green from the trees. The rest they dried in the sun and stored in large baskets for future use," said DesertUSA in an article entitled Cooking with Mesquite.

The 1900s picture on the left shows two Chemehuvi grils making a drink from mesquite beans.

  "Usually, the beans (pods and seeds) were ground into a coarse meal, then by adding water, were transformed into a gruel or a cake without cooking. Some cultures are said to have taken the seeds from the pods and ground them into a flour called pinole, from which a bread was actually baked," added the article.

 A Milling Event in Silver City this Fall
The process of transforming beans into mesquite flour is a topic that has attracted the interest of the Native Foods Project at TVC. The project recently received a donation of a hammermill from Steven Zerbach to process mesquite beans. This spring, organizers of the project sent seven members to Tucson to attend the  Desert Harvesters Mesquite 101 and Hammermill Trainings. Desert Havesters has published a cookbook that contains only  mesquite recipes.
 
"We learned everything we need to know for best harvesting practices and how to use our amazing hammermill to grind mesquite beans into a sweet, nutritious, and delicious flour," said Kristin Lundgren," garden coordinator at the TVC.  "Now that the trainees have all shared our own insights and dynamic ideas, we're excited to start planning a fall milling event here at The Commons for community members like you to start utilizing this nourishing regional food crop. And, you know what? Everyone from Tucson was very excited about how sweet and delicious our Honey Mesquite is here!"

Cast Your Vote for Hon A:Wan Community Garden in Zuni

I mentioned in an earlier post that the Commons, a community garden in Silver City, has applied for a grant from the national organization Seeds of Change. I have since discovered that another community garden in New Mexico has also applied: The Hon A:Wan Community Garden in Zuni.  Two schools and two communities will share in the grand prize of $110,000. In addition, $200,000 in grants will be distributed among 10 other schools and 10 other communities.  The winners are selected in part via votes from the public. Since you can only vote once, you'll have to choose between The Commons and Hon A:Wan. The 50 entries with the most votes will move on to the final judging phase. We will announce the Top 50 on or about Apr 24, 2017. The final grant recipients will be announced on May 8, 2017.

Here is the pitch from the organizers of Hon A:Wan Community Garden.

 BY: Andrea P
Zuni, NM
HOW WOULD YOU USE THIS GRANT TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY?

Zuni is both a beautiful high desert community and a prime example of a food desert with only two gas stations, a small grocer, and one restaurant providing limited food options for the community. With little access to fresh produce and healthy foods, Zuni has few tools in the fight against obesity and diabetes, and is crippled in Zuni-wide efforts to regain food sovereignty for the pueblo. This unique project will help to both revitalize and retain increased access to local, healthy and traditional foods for youth and families on the Zuni Pueblo through construction of a traditional waffle garden, raised garden beds, and a hoop house at the new ZYEP Hon A:wan park location. Use this link to Vote for Hon A;Wan  You may only vote once.  The Deadline is April 14

Cast Your Vote for Community Garden in Silver City

Growing produce in a communal garden is one important way to help address hunger in a community. That is why the national organization Seeds of Change awards several hundred thousand dollars in grants to schools and community organizations to build up their gardening capacity.  One group that received Seeds of Change funding in 2014 is Seed2Need, a community garden based in Corrales.

This year, The Commons, a community garden developed by the Volunteer Center of Grant County in Silver City, has applied for funding. Two schools and two communities will share in the grand prize of $110,000. In addition, $200,000 in grants will be distributed among 10 other schools and 10 other communities.  The winners are selected in part via votes from the public. So, please support The Commons. The 50 entries with the most votes will move on to the final judging phase. We will announce the Top 50 on or about Apr 24, 2017. The final grant recipients will be announced on May 8, 2017.

 Here is the pitch from the organizers of this garden

The Commons
BY: Rita H
Silver City, NM
HOW WOULD YOU USE THIS GRANT TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY?

We believe that food security and sustainability are the foundation of a thriving, sustainable, local economy and at The Commons garden we work to ensure a vibrant and healthy future for ourselves and our neighbors through direct outreach, hands on learning, economic empowerment, and a productive garden. We have three projects underway that are in need of further funding. Rooted will give youth tools to enhance and sustain our local food economy through place based skills around growing, preparing, and marketing food products. Our bio-regional Mesquite Project has the potential to economically empower anyone willing to grab a bucket and harvest mesquite pods. The Commons Wednesdays series sparks discussion and exploration of how and what we eat through films, garden time, cooking together, and conversations around a communal table. Grant monies would be used for staff time and training, healthy snacks and ingredients for meals prepared, necessary equipment, and promotion.

Use this link to Vote for The Commons.  You may only vote once.  The Deadline is April 14 

State Legislature Eliminates SNAP Supplement, Raises Minimum Wage

Below are summaries from the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico and the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy on the outcomes of important legislation on poverty, hunger and food issues during the recently concluded 60-day Session.

From LAM-New Mexico
(via Ruth Hoffman)
HB2, the bill that outlines the state budget, is on the governor's desk for signature. Gov. Martinez has said that she will veto HB2 along with HB202 which would enact a number of revenue proposals to balance the state budget. That action would mean that a special session would be needed.

Hunger
The legislature's recommended budget eliminated $1.2 million needed to fund the State SNAP Supplement program which serves about 12,000 seniors and increases their minimum federal benefit of $16 to $25 per month.

It is very important that New Mexico have tax policy that is fair and provides stable, sustainable & adequate revenue to meet the needs of our state, particularly the most vulnerable.

Affordable Housing & Homelessness
Funding for programs that serve people experiencing homelessness must be protected from cuts and expanded. HB2 does not include any cuts to current funding for programs that serve people experiencing homelessness but also does not include any increases in funding for these programs.

Minimum wage:
Bills to increase the state minimum wage from its current level of $7.50 per hour have been introduced: HB27 (Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero) would have raised the minimum wage to $15. HB67 (Rep. Miguel Garcia) would have phases-in increases to a total $10.10 by 2020. HB27 & HB67 died in committee.

HB442 (Reps. Rodella, Egolf, Carl Trujillo, Ruiloba & Miguel Garcia)would raise the minimum wage to $9.25, would increase the tip wage to 40% of the minimum wage, and has been amended to only preempt local governments from enacting ordinances regarding advance scheduling. HB442 has passed the House and the Senate and heads to the governor's desk.

SB36 (Sen. Bill Soules) would have raised the minimum wage to $8.45 with cost of living increases. SB36 died on the Senate Floor.

SB386 (Sen. Clemente Sanchez) would phase in an increase in the minimum wage to $9, passed the Senate and House and heads to the governor's desk.

From the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council
(from Pam Roy)
HB387, Repeal of Fees for the Organic Certification Program Sponsored by Representative Bill Gomez This bill passed passed the full House of Representatives and Senate on March 16 and goes to the Governor for her signature. Thanks to the NM Department of Agriculture, Siete del Norte and NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council for great team work in this last stretch!

HB289, as amended, Agriculture in Economic Development Act
Sponsored by Representatives Sweetser, Small, and Gomez This bill was passed by the House Committees and Senate and goes to the Governor to be signed. The Act utilizes the combined expertise and resources of the Economic Development Department (EDD) and the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) in helping fund certain economic development projects and adds agriculture enterprises and value added agriculture products to the list to be supported.

SM87, Demise of Rural Grocery Stores Study
Sponsored by Senator Stefanics This bill was for passage by the full Senate last night and goes to the Governor for approval.

East Central Ministries Urban Farm Supports #ABQ Neighborhoods

Growing Awareness Urban Farm is a micro-enterprise of East Central Ministries in Albuquerque. The farm grows seedlings from seed and makes ollas  (terra cota pots for drip irrigation) raises chickens and bees, and engages in work and conversation together - for the benefit, beautification, and growth of the community.

All products are sold on site and online. The store in #ABQ is located in the front of the ECM office, 123 Vermont St. NE. (map)

Local Food Festival Features Chef Demos, Food Trucks, Story Telling

Where can you find great local food: free samples, chef demos, food trucks; live music; film screenings, workshops; beer and wine garden; kids’ activities including face painting, a petting zoo, and story time all in one place?  All of this is available at the 2016 Local Food Festival on Sunday, October 9, 10:00 am. to 3:00 p.m. at the Gutierrez Hubbell House, 6029 Isleta Blvd. SW (3 miles south of Rio Bravo)  Here is a map.  If the weather is nice, you can ride your bike and park in the bike valet.

This schedule has a list of participating chefs (including Carrie Eagle of Farm & Table and others), musicians  (including Zoltan & The Fortune Tellers and others), workshops (like Chickens- Lessons Learned: Tips and Tricks), children's stories (like "The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred") and food trucks.  Watch this 30-second promo video.

Urban Farmer David Young Tackles Food Desert in Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans

Within sight of the repaired Industrial Canal walls in the Lower Ninth Ward, solar panels power the pump on an in-ground pond. Lined with rocks and rimmed in wildflowers, it's home to mosquito fish, one koi and water lilies in bloom. Nearby are a beehive and a stacked strawberry planter. Neatly painted handmade signs identify it all: Okra, cabbage, lettuce, all kinds of greens, beets, kale, tomatoes.This is where David Young, the founder of the nonprofit Capstone, planted his first Ninth Ward garden. With the help of other volunteers and several hives of honeybees, plus a little cash and lots of ingenuity, Young cleans up blighted vacant lots and grows food on them to give away to people who need it.   Read more in this article in The Times-Picayune

Meet David Young, the urban farmer in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. He moved to the Crescent City from Indiana in 2010 and stayed because of a “calling from God." Since then he has started gardens on 30 abandoned lots leftover from Hurricane Katrina. The nearest grocery store is a 3.5 miles away. He provides his produce for free or at low cost to people in most need in the community. And all the fruit grown in his urban orchard is free for the community to pick. He rescues bees that would be killed by exterminators and gives them a new home. He has over 60 hives throughout the Lower 9th Ward. He built the largest aquaponics system in New Orleans and gave out over 2,500 pounds of food last year. His home is an urban homestead with goats, rescued chickens, and of course more bees. His programs are funded partly by honey sales and his work is completely volunteer.

If you live in New Orleans, you can buy Capstone Honey from

• Urban Roots Garden Center
• Terranova's Grocery
• St. Roch Market
• Coffee House (Arabi)
• Southern Food & Beverage Museum
• Sankofa Fresh Stop Market
• Dryades Public Market
• used by: Sumuel Dux, Executive Chef Michael's Catering / Matt & Naddie's

Video: RobGreenfieldTV

Groups Launch Campaign to Promote New Mexico-Grown Fresh Produce for School Meals

By Pam Roy

The New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, Farm to Table and partners hosted a "New Mexico Grown Fresh Fruit and Vegetables for School Meals" Strategic Planning day to determine the potential of the program and commitments by partners to further develop the program over the next three years and beyond.

Close to 50 stakeholders from across the state reaffirmed their commitments and brought new ideas and energy to the program now being called "New Mexico Grown". The group created a NM Grown Three Year Vision and action plan with four priority areas:

1. values-driven public policy;
2. integrated community wellness;
3. asset based economic development; and
4. coordinated infrastructure.

Several committees were formed to implement the Action Plan. If you are interested in joining a Committee or want additional information, please call Pam Roy at 505-660-8403 for more information. Currently the Steering Committee is working on a USDA grant application with hope to bring resources to the program long-term. A full report of the session is forthcoming. The steering committee for New Mexico Grown is scheduled to meet twice this spring, on April 7 and on May 13. The New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council will also convene on May 13.

Many thanks to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and USDA Farm to School Program for their support of the "New Mexico Grown" program!

(Pam Roy is executive director and co-founder of Farm to Table and convener of the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council)

Fourth Annual New Mexico Food and Farms Day Scheduled for Wednesday, February 3, in Santa Fe

The New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council invites you to the Fourth Annual New Mexico Food and Farms Day at the State Capital.  The event is held in conjunction with  New Mexico School Nutrition Day, Cooking With Kids Day and the New Mexico Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Day at the Legislature.

"New Mexico has a vibrant food and farming culture that is significant to our rural economy and provides employment opportunities on farm; in direct, wholesale, and retail opportunities; in food processing, distribution, value-added businesses," said Pam Roy, coordinator of the NMFAC and Farm to Table.

"As a broad based group of partners and participants, we're highlighting the Farm to School movement in New Mexico and the many schools that buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers, school food service who care about providing meals with New Mexico grown produce, and most important, students who learn to incorporate fresh produce in their diets and enjoy experiential learning through programs like Cooking with Kids, Kids Cook, school gardens and more," added Roy. "Our children have the opportunity to enjoy New Mexico grown fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals and snack programs."

The day will include:
8:00 - 9:00am
Education Through Advocacy, room 324 at the State Capital - Participants will get a brief overview of the New Mexico legislative process before launching into a morning of fast paced activities. By Invite Only

8:30 - 11:00am
In the East Wing of the Capital (next to the Rotunda), organizations and agencies will share information and educate the public about their programs and their relationship to each other and the goals and purpose of the Day and beyond.

9:00 - 9:45am
Celebrate the 1st Annual Farm to School Award Ceremony and Press Conference. At the Rotunda, this special awards ceremony will recognize key individuals and their organizations for their work in creating educational programs in schools for children to learn about the world of food and gardening; food service and food entrepreneurs who have, through innovation and policy, changed the rules to be able to partner with local farmers to buy the freshest local produce for school meals; and, farmers who have been on the front lines for change by building partnerships with schools to purchase locally grown produce and paving the path for others. This will be the first on many occasions to honor leaders, risk takers, innovators, and believers.

10:00 - 12 noon
The New Mexico Legislature will honor New Mexico Food ad Farms Day, New Mexico School Nutrition Day, and Cooking with Kids Day in both the House and Senate Chambers. Policymakers will highlight the importance of these events and most importantly will recognize individuals and organizations for their efforts in building an important aspect of food, farming, and health initiatives in New Mexico.

12:30 - 3:00pm
Round Table celebration, discussion, and next steps by all of the groups and individuals involved. We ask ourselves what we learned, how it builds relationships and coordination, and what we commit to doing moving forward. Our discussion includes providing lunch. Venue TBD (more information forthcoming)

The organizations joining in the celebration include: New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, Farm to Table, New Mexico School Nutrition Association, Siete Del Norte, Cooking with Kids, Mid Rio Grande Council of Governments, New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service, New Mexico Dietetics Association, New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association, Santa Fe Food Policy Council, FoodCorps, Community Outreach Patient Empowerment (COPE - a Navajo Nation Coalition and youth group NCHO), Dine Food Sovereignty Alliance, and more.

A List of Double-Up Food Bucks Locations in Albuquerque and Valencia County

Thanks to an initiative approved by the State Legislature this year, New Mexicans who receive food stamps can use their EBT cards to double the amount of fruits and vegetables they purchase at growers markets. Here is a list, courtesy of the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association, of locations in the Albuquerque area and Valencia County that offer the Double-Up Food Bucks option.

• ABQ Uptown Growers’ Market 2200 Louisiana Boulevard NE, Albuquerque (Saturdays 7AM–12PM)
• Albuquerque Downtown Growers’ Market Central and 8th, Robinson Park, Albuquerque (Saturdays 8AM–12PM)
• Albuquerque Growers’ Market at Presbyterian 1100 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque (Tuesdays 7AM–12PM)
• Albuquerque: Rail Yards Market 777 1st St. SW, Albuquerque (Sundays 10AM–2PM)
• Belen Growers’ Market Anna Becker Park, Highway 309 & Reinken Avenue, Belen (Fridays 4:30–7PM)
• Bosque Farms Growers’ Market 1090 North Bosque Loop, Bosque Farms (Saturdays 8AM–12PM)
• Los Lunas Farmers’ Market 3447 Lambros Circle, Los Lunas (Tuesdays 4PM–7PM)
• South Valley Armijo Village Growers’ Market Isleta Blvd. and Arenal Rd. SW, Albuquerque (Saturdays 8AM–12PM)
• South Valley Gateway Growers’ Market 100 Isleta Blvd. SW, Albuquerque (Thursdays 5PM–8PM) 
• Zia Bernalillo Farmers Market 335 S. Camino del Pueblo (Fridays 4pm-7pm)

Double-Up Food Bucks benefits are also available in Alamogordo, Aztec, Cuba, Carlsbad, Clovis, Dixon, Española, Farmington, Las Cruces, Las Vegas (Tri-County Farmers' Market), Lordsburg, Mescalero, Mora, Pojoaque, Portales, Ramah, Santa Fe, Silver City, Socorro, Truth or Consequences (Sierra County Farmers' Market), Taos and Tucumcari. Click Here to find specific information about each of these markets. 

Promoting the Use of Double-Up Food Bucks for Produce in New Mexico

The Sunday Railyards Market is a Double-up Food Bucks site

HB93 appropriated nearly $365,000 for families that receive support via the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program (SNAP). Farm to Table, the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico and other organizations strongly supported the initiative during the past legislative session. The measure gained broad support from both parties in the State Legislature.

This benefit is new this year, so chances are that many SNAP participants have not heard about this program that basically doubles the amount of money that can be used for fresh fruits and vegetables with food stamps via the 34 New Mexico Growers markets throughout the state.

 "It’s easy with Double Up Food Bucks! For example, if you spend $10 from your SNAP EBT Card at a participating farmers market, we give you another $10 to buy fresh fruits and veggies grown in New Mexico," said the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association (NMFMA) which benefits because SNAP participants would purchase locally grown produce. "If you spend $25 from your SNAP EBT Card, we give you another $25 for fresh New Mexico-grown fruits and vegetables. It’s that easy! Some farmers’ markets may have a limit for daily Double Up purchases, others may not. Check with the folks at your local farmers’ market information table to find out!

While this benefit is wonderful and offers a way for many families in New Mexico to gain access to fresh produce, there is a provision that unused funds would go back to the general fund. Most markets close at the end of  October, so about two-a-half months remain before this benefit runs. And really, the best time to use it is now, when tomatoes,squash, peaches, cucumbers and chiles and other good things are available. Apples will be available in September.

So how do we increase participation?  One way is to spread the word, and the NMFMA has a handy link  that enables SNAP participants and anyone who provides assistance to Find a Location by simply entering a zip code.

For more information and ideas on how to spread the word, check out the NMFMA's Double Up Food Bucks site.

Herb & Flower Fiesta in Silver City next Weekend

The third annual Herb and Flower Fiesta is scheduled for this coming weekend in Silver City.  The event is a fundraiser for the local community radio GMCR.or/KURU 89.1 FM The Volunteer Center of Grant County will host the Friday events, including classes on using herbs for food and medicine, an herbal luncheon and a plant walk. The Saturday events will take place at the Silver City Farmers Market.  This poster has more details.

Building a World Garden in Your Back (or Front) Yard

During a recent trip to Haiti, members of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, N.C., discovered that many families in the Caribbean country grow 40% of the food they consume in their home gardens using whatever resources are available to them. The Haiti gardens are supported by Famers Movement of Papaye (MPP), a grassroots organization of 20 farming cooperatives located throughout Haiti, and Mark Hare and Jenny, mission workers of the Presbyterian Church USA.

The trip inspired the members of the church to recreate this World Garden in their own front yards back home. In this video, the children of Grace Presbyterian Church explain how the World Garden works.

Grow the Future NM to Host First Annual Vegg Fest

Grow the Future NM invites you to  the first annual VEGG Fest on Saturday, October 18, at  Cornelio Candelaria, Organics, 505 Foothill Rd,  SW (Map), in the Albuquerque South Valley.  

The event will feature Burque Sol, Wake Self and other local bands, local food and family fun The event will start with the regular Saturday Market at the Farm from 8:00am-1:00pm, followed by the festival from 1:00pm-10:00pm. 

For more information contact Grow the Future, growthefuture@gmail.com or (505) 331-6390

Aquaponics (Part 4): A Part of the Solution to the Food Desert in Urban Milwaukee

Will Allen's book

"On a two-acre Community Food Center in Milwaukee, just beyond a busy city street, goats graze, chickens peck and scratch, bees buzz and ducks and rabbits thrive. This flurry of activity takes place while 20,000 plants and vegetables grow in greenhouses along with thousands of yellow perch, which are sold to local restaurants and grocery stores."

Will Allen, a college basketball star at the University of Miami, dreamed of playing in the National Basketball Association. Even though he was drafted by the Washington franchise in 1971, he never did play in the NBA.  He did play professionally in the American Basketball Association and Basketball League Belgium (BLB).

Allen's career path took him in a different direction: as an urban farmer. He left a job in marketing at Procter & Gamble in 1993 and bought a plant nursery in North Milwaukee that was in foreclosure.The facility became the anchor for Growing Power, Inc., a non-profit community food system whose mission was to create access for people in a low-income neighborhood to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food. “There was no real food to eat within five blocks of the largest project in the city,” Allen, winner of the MacArthur Foundation's Genius Grant in 2008, said in a recent interview with Natural Awakenings magazine. 

Growing Power, Inc. helps people  grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner. Growing Power has multiple farm sites  in Wisconsin and Illinois. Some of the non-profit organization's farms are located in urban neighborhoods and others  in rural settings. "In addition to the farms where we raise our produce and livestock, we assist other projects in Milwaukee and Chicago," Growing Power said in its Web site.  [Read more about the evolution of Growing Power, Inc. in Allen's book The Good Food Revolution].

Using tilapia, yellow perch to grow tomatoes, salad greens

Photo: Growing Power, Inc.

While soil-based cultivation comprises a large part of Growing Power's farming operation, aquaponicss also provides an important source of vegetables and protein for the community. "We  use tilapia and yellow perch in our aquaponics systems because they are relatively easy to raise and because we can market them to restaurants, market basket customers, and they are a favorite in ethnic markets," said the non-profit.

Here is the step-by-step p how the fish help in the cultivation of plants.

1. By using gravity as a transport, water is drained from the fish tank into a gravel bed. Here, beneficial bacteria break down the toxic ammonia in fish waste to Nitrite and then to Nitrogen, a key nutrient for plant development. On the gravel bed, we also use watercress as a secondary means of water filtration.
2. The filtered water is pumped from the gravel bed to the growing beds, where we raise a variety of crops from specialty salad greens to tomatoes. The water is wicked up to the crops roots with the help of coir, a by-product of coconut shells and a sustainable replacement for peat moss.
3. Finally, the water flows from the growing beds back into the tank of fish. Growing Power uses this type of aquaponics system because it is easy to build and only needs a small pump and heat to get the system running.  

Read more about how aquaponics is providing fish and plants in St. Paul, MN, Las Cruces, NM, and Northwest Haiti.

Aquaponics (Part 3): Creating a Living Food Bank in Northwest Haiti

Rebecca Nelson and John Pade are well known as the authority on aquaponics in the United States. So much so the URL for their Web site is simply aquaponics.com  Before I tell you more about the Nelson & Pade operations, I want to highlight a great project they developed in Haiti to provide both protein and  greens via a partnership with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission (NWHCM), The aquaponics system is housed in a tropical greenhouse at the NWHCM campus in the community of St. Louis du Nord (about 58 kilometers or 36 miles west of Cape Haitien). The aquaponics portion of the farm at St. Louis du Nord, which  produces  tilapia and a variety of vegetables, is managed by Stephen Jernigan. (The vimeo below was uploaded in May 2014)


Aquaponics from NWHCM on Vimeo.

While the NWHCM operating provides food for a small section of northwestern Haiti, Nelson and Pade are hoping to help introduce aquaponics to many areas of the island. "The Living Food Bank® produces a high volume of fresh food in a small space, using minimal resources," Nelson & Pade said in an article in their Web site. "This reduces the reliance on imported food rations for feeding programs in developing countries while providing higher quality, more nutritional food."

And there are possibilities beyond Haiti. "The Living Food Bank® was designed for missions and social projects in developing countries, urban areas and other places that traditional agriculture doesn't work or access to fresh food isn't available," said Nelson & Pade.

Nelson & Pade Provides Great Resources & Training
If you have a chance to peruse through the Nelson & Pade Inc. site, you can find all sorts of training opportunities, links to the Aquaponics Journal, a blog, all sorts of training videos and live seminars and classes at their facilities in Montello, WI.

Rebecca Nelson leads a workshop

As of 2011, more than 1,000 individuals from around the world had participated in  Nelson and Pade’s aquaponics workshops. “They are attended by everyone from school teachers to hobbyists, as well as individuals interested in commercial operations or backyard aquaponics for home food production,” said Nelson,

While this effort to combine aquaculture and  hydroponics to create gardens might seem new to most of us, Nelson and Pade have been practicing and perfecting aquaponics since the early 1990s. But the practice goes back at least a century-and-a-half to China, Thailand and Peru.

"Modern aquaponics recycles water, a precious resource. Fish give off carbon dioxide (CO2) as they breathe. Plants take in CO2, strip the carbon to build their leaves and then release the remaining oxygen molecules. The oxygen-rich air is filtered and then blown into the water for the fish to recycle. In this symbiotic mini eco-system, wastes in one facet of the system are utilized as a resource in another," said the online news site Natural Awakenings.

 “Aquaponics is the ideal answer to a fish farmer’s problem of disposing of nutrient-rich water and a hydroponic grower’s need for nutrient-rich water,” Nelson said in an interview with Natural Awakenings.

Stay Tuned for Parts 4 of the Series, where we will  examine how the practice of aquaponics has taken root in the inner  cities of Milwaukee and Chicago (Growing Power).

Aquaponics (Part 2): Sunflower Sprouts in Mesilla Valley in Southern New Mexico

There are some things that are intuitive. Such as the fact that trout cannot survive above 70 degrees.  But you don't think about that when someone gives you a big gift of trout to help build up your aquaponics operation.

"We thought we had it made," said Shahid Mustafa, general manager of the Mountain View Market (MVM) coopeartive, which serves the Las Cruces area.

As it turns out, trout are not the ideal fish to use to start an aquaponics operation in southern New Mexico, where summer temperatures at times reach the triple digits.  Aquapronics operations around the country use a variety of fish, and experts in the practice like Nelson & Pade say certain varieties of fish have provided good results in the U.S., including blue gill, crappie, sunfish, tilapia,  and even ornamental fish. (In Perth, Australia, they like these fish). Blue gill and catfish are among the fish that are native to middle and lower Rio Grande, while various species of trout are found in the higher elevations.

An ideal fish for all climates of New Mexico is tilapia, but that is not a native species in New Mexico, and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) has  made it illegal to raise this variety of fish. Tilapia is considered an invasive species.

Tilapia are potential competitors with native fish for spawning areas, food, and space, as well as potential vectors for parasites and di seases. Populations of various species of tilapia are established in Arizona and Texas where these invasions have coincided with reductions of native fish species. Tilapia (possibly Tilapia aurea ) was introduced into New Mexico at two locations prior to 1990 as fish stockings. While these populations did not survive, the NMDGF has received and approved importation requests for small- scale, contained food industry opera tions at two facilities in th e state. The current threat is from humans illicitly translocating live fish from approved facilities or from range expansion via shared drainages. -report from New Mexico Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Council

Advocates of aquaponics in the state, including Michael McNair, chair of the New Mexico Black Chamber of Commerce,  do not understand why state wildlife officials have imposed a prohibition on the use of tilapia, which is allowed on a limited basis in some sites around the state. McNair, who organized a presentation at the End Hunger in New Mexico summit in late July and trying to promote aquaponics statewide, has launched a campaign to convince the NMDGF to lift the prohibition on the use of tilapia in aquaponics operations in the state.

Sunflower sprouts

Sunflower Sprouts and Salad Greens
For now, MVM is experimenting with catfish and other varieties some which are not typically eaten--such as goldfish). "If we could get tilapia, we could grow more produce," Mustafa said at a workshop about aquaponics at the End Hunger in New Mexico summit.

This means that the emphasis at MVM is more on the hydroponics (the cultivation of plants in water) than on aquaculture (the raising of fish). One of the top crops that MVM grows with the use of aquaponics is sunflower sprouts, which are in high demand in Las Cruces. "The reason we like sunflower sprouts is because they only take a week to grow," said Mustafa.

Shahid Mustafa gives presentation at End Hunger Summit

Mustafa believes aquaponics is uniquely suited to New Mexico, a state where saving water is important. “Aquaponics uses only one-tenth of the water as traditional field agriculture to produce the same amount of food; the same amount of water could be gone in one day or a few hours, but in the system, it will last for a few weeks," the MVM general manager said in an interview posted in Marisa Coronado's blog

On a yearly basis, Mesilla Valley Cooperative uses aquaponics to grow about 15% of its produce, mostly for sunflower sprouts, but other produce-- like greens and lettuce--are part of the present and future plans. “A head of lettuce is more fragile and has a higher price point;  we’ll be able to grow more delicate forms of produce away from the pests and harvest them for longer. We may try mixed greens,”said Mustafa. (Read More in the MVM Web site)

Stay Tuned for Parts 3 and 4 of the Series, where we will look at the aquaponics training offered by Nelson & Pade and  examine how the practice of aquaponics has taken root in the inner  cities of Milwaukee and Chicago (Growing Power).

Aquaponics (Part 1): A Former Brewery in St. Paul Produces Organic Swiss Chard, Cilantro

Photo: Urban Organics

The concept is simple. Local equals fresh. Fresh equals nutritious. Nutritious equals healthy, for people and community. -Urban Organics

The multi-story building in St. Paul, MN, once produced the iconic Hamm's beer. This was the original location where Hamm's was produced for generations, but was abandoned in 1997 and sat in disrepair for years. The City of St. Paul, which acquired the site in 2001, sold the site to four investors, who are turning the former brewery into an urban aquaponics farm.

So what is aquaponics? This practice of growing produce combines aquaculture (the raising of fish) and hydroponics (the cultivation of plants in water)--to grow organic produce.

Photo: Urban Organics

"Modern aquaponics recycles water, a precious resource. Fish give off carbon dioxide (CO2) as they breathe. Plants take in CO2, strip the carbon to build their leaves and then release the remaining oxygen molecules. The oxygen-rich air is filtered and then blown into the water for the fish to recycle. In this symbiotic mini eco-system, wastes in one facet of the system are utilized as a resource in another," said the online news site Natural Awakenings.

 “Aquaponics is the ideal answer to a fish farmer’s problem of disposing of nutrient-rich water and a hydroponic grower’s need for nutrient-rich water,” said Rebecca Nelson,co-founder of  the Wisconsin-based Nelson & Pade, one of the country's original commercial aquaponics operations.

The Urban Organics farm in St. Paul, which started operations this year, is already producing kale, Swiss chard, Italian parsley, cilantro and other orgranic edible plants.

The brewery building was an ideal location to set up this operation. "Urban Organics' co-founders--Fred Haberman, Chris Ames, Dave Haider and Kristen Haider--were drawn to the location for the same reason Hamm's was: its water. The naturally occurring wells at the site provide their operation with a free source of water, the essential ingredient in aquaponics. And most of the water is recycled," said an article in TwinCities.com

With its limited production, Urban organics is already supplying organic greens to a couple of local grocery stories in the Twin Cities. The farm--which is in the process of developing the entire six-story building--expects to 720,000 pounds of greens and 150,000 pounds of fish per year.  Here is a report from KSTP- TV in the Twin Cities. 

Stay Tuned for Parts 2-4 of the Series, where we will look at the aquaponics training offered by Nelson & Pade, examine how the practice of aquaponics has taken root in southern New Mexico (Mountain View Market Cooperative) and in the inner  cities of Milwaukee and Chicago (Growing Power).  We will look at a new effort to promote the practice throughout New Mexico.

A Campaign for 'Food Justice Certifed' Labeling in the U.S.

On May 10, the Agricultural Justice Project and Florida Organic Growers  launched Hungry for Justice – Spotlight on the South! The documentary tells the story of a local Florida farm, The Family Garden, and its commitment to focus on social justice issues for its workers by seeking the Food Justice Certification (FJC) and market label.

FJC is the only third-party verification program to cover U.S. farmworkers and farmers, as well as other food system workers. Farmers and farm worker representatives participated in the development of the certification standards, the verification process, and in a consensus-style governance structure. FJC recognizes that improving conditions for farmworkers in the U.S. needs to include improving the terms farmers receive in selling goods.

Watch this video and  click on this link to learn more.