Now we look forward to 2011 and all that the coming year might have in store for us. What do you think is to come? Well, here are our predictions for what’s on the table for the coming year.

The Ag Collaborative in 2011

LandLink: An official launch of the Central New Mexico LandLinkis on the horizon, which will help spread the word about this valuable resource. In 2011 we aim to expand our listing database, provide follow-up stories on successful LandLinkconnections made, and work on marketing the program to individuals and/or businesses that are not heavily engaged in the digital realm. With new grant money in hand we are poised to achieve our goals in the coming year.

Albuquerque Farm-to-Restaurant: The Mid-Region Council of Governments is in the process of collecting feedback and data regarding the opportunities and barriers to developing a farm-to-restaurant program for Albuquerque. With the assistance of the Santa Fe Farm-to-Restaurant program, the goal is to create a program that helps provide income for growers, fresh food for restaurants, and mouth-watering meals made with local ingredients for consumers.

Ag Collaborative Meetings: We’ve got lots of great topics already lined up for 2011 including Farm-to-Restaurant Albuquerque, Micro Loans and Grant Programs, The Power of 4-H, and a presentation on the Agri-Cultura Network.  Other topics for the year might include: understanding local and national food policies, local meat and poultry producers (including a tasting demo), ACHIEVE and the Youth Food Action Project, and more. Let us know if you have a topic you’d like to see us present.

Food Festival and Field Day: This year we’re talking about moving the Local Food Festival and Field Day to the fall. By doing this we hope to capitalize on the abundant harvest of the season, some cooler temperatures, and the ability to team up with Edible Santa Fe to bring an even more spectacular event than years before. Keep your eyes and ears open for news about when we’ll be holding the event.

Trends on the Local Front

Buy Local Policies:  Senator Tim Keller is working on legislation that are of great importance to the local food system and would be a boon to our agricultural economy and the local economy as a whole. You can find information regarding these bills on the Legislation page of his website. We will continue to keep you updated via our blog as new information becomes available to us.

Protecting Farmers from GMO Contamination: The NM Farmer Protection Act died last year in the legislature. However, people are still advocating for law that protects farmers from the lawsuits that can result even when GMO contamination on ones’ farm is unintentional. For more information visit the La Montanita Co-op Blog, visit the “Pass the New Mexico Farmer Protection Act” Facebook page, or go to the January symposium at UNM hosted by the Youth Food Action Project.

Kids Gardening and Farming: There are programs and initiatives flourishing in and around Albuquerque that are aimed at developing school gardens, improving youth farming and gardening education, and implementing fresh, healthy and local foods on school campuses. Some of the efforts that are sure to grow in 2011 include: Albuquerque Public Schools Growing Gardens Team (GGT); Bernalillo County 4-H; La Plazita Institute; Rio Grande Community Farm; and the Youth Food Action Project. The GGT recently developed a  guidebook titled “Growing the Outdoor Classroom,” designed to help teachers and APS staff to better understand the hurdles and opportunities inherent in starting up a school garden. We look forward to following the work of these amazing organizations over the next year.

UNM Projects and Programs: UNM is focused on creating a sustainable food system on campus and in the broader community. While many students and faculty have been advocating for this issue for some time, the past year delivered new money that will allow for further growth of such programs. Through such departments as the Sustainability Studies Program, and the Research Service Learning Program, UNM Lobo Gardenscontinues to create budding gardeners, farmers and local food activists. UNM is also excited to welcome a new food co-op on campus, called the Co-op ‘N Go, which is a satellite La Montanita store. It will provide local, organic and healthy food options in an area that has been mostly devoid of such choices. To read more about the new store, click here.

Increased Beginning Farmer Training: In 2010 Farm to Table and Bernalillo County Extension collaborated on the Building Farmers of the West program, a course designed to give budding farmers skills they need in order to run a farming business. The New Mexico Agri-Cultura Network has continued to offer training for “beginning farmers in organic food production for institutional buyers such as the public schools.” Other organizations that offer framer training services include the American Friends Service Committee Farmer-to-Farmer Training Program and the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. We hope to see these programs continue to grow so that our farms can continue to grow. Visit our Resources for Farmers and Ranchers page to get additional information.

Increased Demand for Commercial Kitchens: Facilities like the South Valley Economic Development Center, which houses a 3,500 square foot FDA certified commercial kitchen, are sure to become more popular and in higher demand as the interest in small-scale value-added production increases.

Trends on the National Front

Big Policies Mean Big Change: The two biggest pieces of legislation passed this year pertaining to food were the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) and the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act (S.3307). We may not see huge changes in the next year, but these new policies are sure to lay the foundation for many changes in years to come. Something that we may see in the coming year as a result of S.510 is the ability for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to assert their authority to prevent possible food contamination outbreaks, or quickly halt the spread of such outbreaks. Unfortunately, by approving S.3307 future funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was cut by $2.2 billion. Could there be a way to financially balance these two programs in the future, despite major budget hurdles? We’ll have to wait and see.

Healthier, Happier Kids: The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act mentioned above, coupled with the Let’s Move Campaign spearheaded by Michelle Obama, are going to provide healthier school food options, create an environment that supports school gardens, create incentives for farm-to-school programs and help to educate kids about the food they eat and why being physically active is important for our health. Check out the Educators page on our site to learn more about what’s happening in our region.

Kill the Bee-Killing Pesticide: Bees have been dying off at alarming rates for many years. Recently a document was leaked showing that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignored the risks of clothianidin, a pesticide produced by Bayer, which might be contributing to the massive honeybee die-off, also known as Colony Collapse Disorder. A recent movie titled Vanishing of the Beeshighlights this tragic die-off. In order for the EPA to get clothianidin off the market the public needs to voice their concern. You can do so by signing the Pesticide Action Network's petition.

Small Farms Are a Big Deal: People are beginning to see how important our food system is in terms of its environmental impact, economic impact and health impacts. These issues are prompting many people to turn to local and/or organic food choices, thus contributing to a demand for the rise of small farms. Farmer training programs are growing, which is a good sign, but without laws that provide support to entrepreneurial and small-scale farmers, efforts to start or keep a farm going are often extremely challenging and yield very little income. With the 2012 Farm Bill on the table this year, there are high hopes that it will provide assistance and incentives so that new and small farms can thrive. Visit our Resources for Farmers and Ranchers page to learn more about farming in New Mexico.

The Increase of Agritourism: While agritourism might still be a new concept to many travelers, or locals looking for something to do on the weekend, it is a growing trend, and one that is likely to continue to grow. The term doesn’t only apply to individuals or families taking a vacation, it also refers to activities such as wine tours, pick-your-own operations, crop art, food festivals, or taking a culinary course located on a small farm. For farmers or ranchers wanting to engage in agritourism activities, check out the Farming and Agritourism Business Management Guide produced by the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, or this great list of tool kits and guidesregarding agritourism and nature tourism provided by the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. For those looking for a place to visit or stay, FarmStay U.S. is a valuable online resource.

Trends on the Home Front

Real Food on a Real Budget: With the economy still in a funk people are realizing that we don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat healthy. Many people are returning to eating and cooking real foods, as opposed to processed, packaged and fast-foods, as a way to save money and maintain a healthy diet. There are all kinds of ways that people are doing this including: growing some of their food at home or in a community garden; joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program; using SNAP dollars to get ‘double dollars’ on fresh food purchases at the farmer’s market; or collaborating with friends and colleagues to buy dry goods in bulk at discounted prices (like nuts and grains). Visit out Resources for Local Food Consumers page for more information.

Growing At It Alone (Or With Others!): Home and community gardens are flourishing. A report from the National Gardening Association, shows that food gardening is on the rise in the U.S.. While many garden at home out of convenience, others (especially in more urban areas) are turning to participating in community gardens in order to grow some of their own produce or protein. As the American Community Gardening Association points out, the advantages of community garden extend far beyond growing healthy food. The New Mexico Master Gardeners program helps to support a sustainable food system in New Mexico by teaching Master Gardeners course participants about how to grow their own food, who in turn teach those in our community about how they can do the same. For additional resources check out the page on our website dedicated to backyard growers and community gardens.

Preserving Made Easy: As our recent article It’s Time for Preserving points out, preserving self grown or locally grown foods doesn’t have to be a huge ordeal. The trend is catching on as more people are growing their own food, relying on seasonal and local food choices, but still have little time to commit to such endeavors. Methods such as dehydrating, freezing and quick-pickling are fast and easy, and provide tasty, long-term storage solutions.

There’s plenty in store for 2011 and plenty that we can do to support food security in our own communities. If you want to learn more, attend one of our monthly meetings, come to our Local Food Festival this year, tap in to our Local Food Blog, connect with us on Facebook, or contact us (at localfoodnm@mrcog-nm.gov) if you have questions or ideas about how you can be involved.