Project Overview
The overarching goal of the Taos County Economic Development Corporation’s (TCEDC) proposed 3-year project “Increasing Production of and Access to Local Meats in Northern New Mexico” is to inspire and empower beginning ranchers to become financially successful while using climate-smart, regenerative practices to produce nutritious meat products in the counties of Taos, Mora, Colfax and Rio Arriba located in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. This project addresses regional food security through intergenerational transfer of culturally-appropriate ranching skills and knowledge.
TCEDC's Project Outreach has designed two, year-long mentorship programs with an emphasis on livestock production practices that are climate smart and will preserve and enhance soil, animal, and human health. Partner Alianza-Agricultura de Taos has given six high-quality programs on a large variety of regenerative agriculture, including forest grazing and forest health, watershed health, cover crops and other organic soil amendments, and rotational grazing. The basics to the local details of regenerative agriculture have been offered. TCEDC has offered two workshops designed to increase ranchers’ and farmers' financial stability and sustainability through intensive financial management training covering how to structure one's agricultural business, proper record keeping, and tax forms and filing information. We have sponsored two workshops focusing on food safety (especially for farms) and meat marketing in order to increase market opportunities for meat producers. TCEDC has arranged two on-ranch tours and demonstrations of livestock production built on a foundation of soil, animal, human, and environmental health.
Key personnel all live in Taos and have strong ties to the farming/ranching community. Project partners partnering with TCEDC to make the presentations this year have been Farmers Outreach Solutions, a minority owned financial management technical assistance provider, Alianza Agri-Cultural de Taos, local advocacy that is very well-connected to a wide variety of local resources and well-known national and international figures in the regenerative agricultural movement, and the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association, which has presented two workshops. 100% of the requested federal funds have supported the work of nonprofit organizations working with farmers and ranchers in underserved communities.
Number of Participants: 316
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