Here at the MRCOG Agriculture Collaborative we are working towards providing more resources for community members, organizations and businesses. We’re expanding our social media outlets, improving our calendar, updating our Local Food Maps and are continuing to expand the Central New Mexico LandLink program.

We’re also continuing to reach out to local organizations and businesses to see how we can support them in our efforts to further serve the local food community as a whole. We’ve connected with the APS Growing Gardens Team to help support school gardening efforts being implemented around the region. For more information on school gardening efforts in Albuquerque, visit the Gardeners Guild website. We’ve met with other local organizations such as the Goodwill Industries SCSEP Program regarding how we can create jobs for seniors in the local food and agriculture realm. And we’ve recently begun to discuss the feasibility of a Farm to Restaurant program here in Albuquerque. If you’d like to engage in a discussion about a possible Albuquerque Farm to Restaurant program, either as a farmer, restaurateur, funder, or otherwise, please email Lora at localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov.

For more information regarding our expanding online resources and our new social media outlets, read on...

Exploring New Social Media Outlets

We’ve recently expanded our social media portfolio by adding a Twitter feed. Subscribe to our feed (@LocalFood_NM) to get tips, ideas, news and regular updates regarding what’s happening in New Mexico and around the nation. You can still follow us on Facebook at: Local Food in New Mexico.

Improving the Events Calendar

We’ve changed our Events Calendar format by switching to Google Calendar to provide more versatility and interactivity. Now you can subscribe to the calendar feed via your own Google account, iCal or Microsoft calendar. Another advantage of the Google Cal is to be able to collaborate in the future with other organizations using Google Cal. If your organization or business manages a Google Calendar providing information on events related to New Mexico food or agriculture, we would love to combine forces. If you would like to collaborate, or if you have an event that you would like to have posted, please email localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov.

Local Food Maps "Grow"

Our Local Food Maps continue to grow. Given the ever-shifting nature of local food production, distribution and consumption, we are continually  working on adding more resources to our three maps: 

• Where to Eat and Buy Locally Grown Foods >>
• Agri-tourism and Events >>
• Grow it Yourself >>

If you would like to have your farm, CSA, community garden, school garden, restaurant, business, organization or repeating event, listed on one of our maps, please email localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov.

Central New Mexico LandLink

The Central New Mexico LandLink program continues to expand! What is the LandLink program? The goal is to “link” beginning farmers and ranchers to land and resources by providing:

• Online agricultural land listings;
• Mentorship and internship opportunities; and
• Local and national Resources for Farmers and Ranchers

The initiative will "link" agricultural landowners and existing farm and ranch operators with the next generation of farm and ranch land stewards, business partners and interns.  The LandLink will facilitate farm and ranch transition to the next generation through tenure arrangements, sales and/or lease agreements and connections to conservation easement and agriculture trust opportunities. For more information, visit the Central New Mexico LandLink page, or email localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov.

We aim to serve the interests of numerous individuals and organizations throughout the community. If you have an idea about what Albuquerque needs to do to support a thriving local food system and network, feel free to email us or start a discussion on our Local Food NM Facebook page.