BFRDP Projects

We worked with 5 beginning Indigenous farmers in the New Mexico Pueblo communities of Isleta Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo, Laguna Pueblo and Zuni Pueblo. 

We recruited through our partnership with the NM Farmers Marketing Association during food safety training and provided direct assistance in risk assessments. We built trainings designed to expand Indigenous farmer production through training in product diversification, product specialization and value-added production opportunities to provide year-round marketing opportunities for farmers, and to provide consistent access to locally produced foods for food insecure community members. We partnered with a marketing expert to create basic training in branding and marketing and direct support in logo and packaging development; provide an in-depth business and marketing strategies webinar to guide Indigenous farmers through the process of outlining a 3 – 5 page executive business plan summaries. Farmers were given stipends for their time which could be used to buy software, marketing materials, food safety supplies, etc. CSC also provided ongoing technical assistance to graduates of the program and gained new recruits through word-of-mouth support from year 1 participants.