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Green chiles take center stage next month when New Mexico extension agents offer classes in preservation techniques. (Photo courtesy of NMSU)

NM experts dish up best techniques for preserving green chile

The growing season is winding down in New Mexico and experts want to make sure the people preserving green chile for the colder months are doing it ri…

A mega-dairy concentrated animal feeding operations can produce as much waste as a city without the benefit of an advanced sewage treatment system. (ArtemZakharov/Adobe Stock)

NM group seeks moratorium on new factory farms

By Lena Beck for Modern Farmer.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the Modern Farmer-Public News Service Colla…

Researchers have long noted a correlation between scorching outdoor temperatures and violent crime. (ytutye/Adobe Stock)

NM advocacy group: more climate change infrastructure needed

A New Mexico advocacy group is reminding lawmakers the state must revise its approach to extreme heat, air pollution and the oil and gas industry if …

In New Mexico, 12 small family-operated farms have provided food for over 1,000 children at more than 30 preschools. (American Friends Service Committee)

NM preschoolers discover purple carrots, plant organic veggies

Like kids everywhere, New Mexico preschoolers balk at eating fresh vegetables. But an educational project has found that with a creative nudge…

The U.S. per capita consumption of pork amounted to 51.1 pounds in 2022, according to Statista. (zyabich/AdobeStock)

Report: U.S. restaurant chains continue controversial ag practices

For 15 years, U.S. restaurant chains have pledged to stop using gestation crates for pregnant pigs but a new report from an animal welfare group …

Some 42 million people count on SNAP benefits each month and nearly four in five are children, seniors, people with disabilities or veterans. (WavebreakmediaMicro/AdobeStock)

Anti-hunger advocates warn NM SNAP benefits at risk in Farm Bill

Anti-hunger groups are alarmed over a draft of the next Farm Bill which significantly cuts benefits for those enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition A…

The USDA has identified bird flu among dairy cows on 41 farms in nine states. (Parilov/Adobestock)

Experts: More bird flu testing needed to prevent spread, protect humans

The number of avian flu cases in dairy cows is holding steady in New Mexico but experts say more testing is needed to prevent its spread and protect h…

Four large corporations control 85% of the U.S. beef market, up from 25% in 1977. (Courtesy Carruth Cattle)

New Mexico panelists tackle food, farming and fairness

Food, farming and fairness will be the topics in Albuquerque this week, at a gathering of those who support the Opportunities for Fairness in Farming …

Economic uncertainty, severe weather and other factors beyond their control can lead to mental-health challenges for farmers and ranchers. (KornFlakes/Adobe Stock)

NMSU program aims to reduce suicide rates among farmers, ranchers

A program has launched in New Mexico to help farmers and ranchers experiencing mental-health issues that could lead to suicide. Workload, debt…

Farmers and ranchers steward about 44% of the United States' landmass. (ZoranZeremski/Adobe Stock)

Delayed Farm Bill could affect millions of Americans

The Farm Bill, typically renegotiated every five years will likely be extended to six years this time around, as Congress seems months away from …

A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency found 58% of methane emissions from landfills come from food waste. (kpn1968/AdobeStock)

Continued food waste in U.S. alarms states with high food scarcity

A new government report highlighted the urgent need to keep food waste out of landfills, noting 30% to 40% of food produced in the U.S. is never …

New Mexico lawmakers this year passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights, which provides students free breakfast and lunch regardless of their income. (USDA)<br />

USDA unveils new alliance to strengthen school food procurement

As part of October's National Farm to School MonthNational Farm to School Month, the Department of Agriculture has announced a new effort to improve …

Students at New Mexico State University and three other Hispanic-serving institutions are benefiting from a federal grant designed to increase the placement of Hispanic graduates at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (CookieStudio/AdobeStock)

NMSU Trains Hispanic Students as Next-Gen Ag Leaders

Hispanic students at New Mexico State University who are interested in agricultural careers will get help, starting this semester, from a program …

More than 70 million people live in areas of the United States with dentist shortages, according to dentalherapy.org. (Graphicroyalty/AdobeStock)

NM Remains Slow in Closing Dental Care Equity Gap

Dental care is vital to overall health, but finding and affording services is a challenge in many states - including New Mexico. Dental therapists…

Emergency allotments added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the pandemic have ended, increasing the number of food-insecure households. (Courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

NM Group Offers Families, Kids Summer Food Assistance

New Mexico kids on vacation from school are no longer queueing-up for cafeteria meals - and that can increase hunger for low-income children and their…

Fossil research suggests the oldest chile pepper specimen may be from the Southwest, and not South America as originally believed. (R. Deanna/University of Colorado)

NM Chile Peppers Likely Millions of Years Older Than Previously Thought

New research shows ancient chili peppers were likely growing in Southwestern states like New Mexico millions of years earlier than previously thought…

In the last week of July 2022, a five-mile stretch of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, N.M., ran dry for the first time in 40 years. (GregMeland/AdobeStock)

Rio Grande River Water Usage Accountability Heats Up

A conservation group which has fought to know how water from the Rio Grande is being used by a regional irrigation district in New Mexico will continu…

New Mexico, one of 14 U.S. states that grows pecans, is the second-largest world producer of the hickory tree nut. (AmandaHarris/Adobe Stock)

NM Ag Workers Monitor Priorities in 2023 Farm Bill

Many farmers and ranchers in drought-ridden New Mexico are making improvements to their irrigation systems this spring, while also keeping an eye on …

Rural Americans pay more when gas prices rise, because they tend to drive farther as part of their day-to-day activities. (SaschaBurkard/Adobe Stock)

Inflation's Impacts on Rural America Likely Higher than Known

Many economists believe inflation will further ease this year, which cannot come soon enough for overburdened rural Americans, including those in New …

Water scarcity in the U.S. Southwest, augmented by drought, climate change, and increased competition for the resource creates uncertainty for those who grow chile peppers in the Rio Grande Valley. (Susan Vineyard/Adobe)

Hot Conference Topic: NM First State With Official Aroma, Chile Peppers?

Can a state have an official aroma? That topic will on attendees' minds when the annual New Mexico Chile Conference is held in Las Cruces today…

In New Mexico, 32% of roads are in poor condition and each motorist pays $767 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair, according to the 2021 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. (suwichanpralomram/Pixabay)

USDA Pilot Program Launches in Nine NM Counties

New Mexico will be one of the first states to receive help from the Rural Partners Network, a new government initiative aiming to reset the way …

The pandemic and a strong job market have reduced college enrollment - but studies show college graduates will earn nearly $1 million more over the course of their careers. (viviandu/dailycal.org)

College Degree Increasingly Requires Part-Time Job

Many U.S. college degree programs can take years of full-time study, a serious time crunch for working adults. That's why more universities are …

A storytelling project in the desert Southwest demonstrated the resiliency of local food production versus reliance on the industrial food system. (Courtesy Michelle Carreon)

Desert Southwest Shows Resilience in Feeding Families Amid COVID-19

When a nonprofit food center in the desert Southwest began a project to chronicle challenges of land and water access combined with climate change…

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture allows state residents who qualify for a refund on their personal income tax return to donate all or part of it to the Healthy Soil Program enacted in 2019. (aces.nmsu.edu)

New Mexico Spills the Dirt on Healthy Soil Practices

Just three years after the New Mexico Healthy Soil Act was approved by lawmakers, the Land of Enchantment is boasting more "soil health champions" …

Doctors say medicines given to livestock, including ivermectin, frequently contain other ingredients that are not meant for human consumption. (carola68/Pixabay)

New Mexican Residents Die Treating COVID-19 with Ivermectin

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A veterinary drug doctors call unsafe for treating COVID-19 has caused the deaths of two people in New Mexico, according to the …

A family of endangered Mexican gray wolves will be released on property owned by communications magnate Ted Turner, where work to breed endangered Bolson tortoises, aplomado falcons and threatened Chiricahua leopard frogs has been successful. (rewilding.org)

Mexican Gray Wolf Family Relocates to Friendlier NM Hunting Grounds

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Mexican gray wolf is so threatened with extinction it was not included in the Trump administration's order to remove other …

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly 913,000 people visited the Gila and San Francisco Rivers annually, according to a new study. (swnmaudubon.org)

Report: Making NM Rivers 'Wild and Scenic' Would Boost Economy

SILVER CITY, N.M. -- The Gila and San Francisco rivers in southwest New Mexico have been central to the state's history, and their designation as …

Penistaja soils are the state soil of New Mexico and cover more than 1 million acres. In Navajo,

Getting Your Hands Dirty Virtually: New Mexico Soil Workshop

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Determining soil quality usually requires getting your hands dirty, but the pandemic will require that a New Mexico soil workshop …

In 1906, Albuquerque schools preemptively closed for a week's vacation because so many students had skipped school in previous years to attend the annual New Mexico State Fair. (SofiLayla/Pixabay)

Real Livestock, Virtual Cotton Candy: 2020 New Mexico State Fair

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Kids and parents looking for remote-learning activities this week can stroll through the livestock barns at the virtual New …

The 2020 census count determines how much of the $675 billion in federal funds states and counties receive and shapes the maps of legislative districts. (americanlibrariesmagazine.org)

Census Workers Begin Door-to-Door Visits After Trump Moves Deadline

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Starting today, census takers will begin visiting homes that haven't returned their 2020 census forms. Residents of New Mexico …

$Any of 536 different fracking chemicals used in New Mexico could be found in$

New Mexico Debates Safety of Oil and Gas "Produced Water"

SANTA FE, N.M. – What is known as "produced water" from oil and gas development in New Mexico will total more than 40 billion gallons this year…

Legislation approved by New Mexico lawmakers would send dental therapists to the state's hard-to-reach areas and significantly improve children's dental health. (healthactionnm.org)

Closing the Gap on Dental Care in New Mexico

SANTA FE, N.M. – Nearly 900,000 New Mexicans do not have access to dental health care, but legislation headed for the governor's desk would …

Hemp cultivation, which will soon be legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, was once abundantly grown across the U.S until its production was outlawed in 1937. (ksjd.org)

NM Hemp Farmers Breathe Easier with Fed'l. Legalization

TRUCHAS, N.M. – Farmers who want to grow hemp in New Mexico no longer have to worry that they're breaking federal laws. The 2018 Farm Bill …

AmeriZao is a newly trademarked name of a jujube fruit tree variety cultivated by New Mexico State University Professor Shengrui Yao. (newscenternmsu.edu)

"AmeriZao" Jujube Tree Cultivated in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There are more than 500 varieties of the jujube plant, and one in New Mexico has a newly trademarked name. "AmeriZao" is …

Environmental groups are supporting new legislation in Congress to reduce ethanol production in favor of next-generation biofuels. (theecologist.org)

Overhauling Ethanol Mandate Could Benefit Climate, NM Economy

ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. – Critics of the nation's 10-year old Renewable Fuel Standard want it reformed, because they say corn-based ethanol hasn't …

Hikers with dogs should be aware that animal traps on public lands can be as close as 25 yards from trails or roads. (peta.org)

NM Hikers: Beware of Hidden Animal Traps on Public Lands

SANTA FE, N. M. – There's still a month left in the animal-trapping season and, with the weather warming, hikers on public lands need to …

Some pecan growers in New Mexico have resorted to hiring private security guards to quell a rash of thieves stealing the nuts to sell them. (nmsu.edu)

NM Farmers Fight Pests, Thieves for Lucrative Pecan Crop

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico's pecan harvest is underway, and farmers are not only fighting off a devastating pest, they're also guarding …

Papa criollo potatoes from South America could be a new sustainable crop for New Mexico farmers. (NMSU)

Could South American Potatoes Be New Mexico's Next Sustainable Crop?

LOS LUNAS, N.M. – More nutritional South American potatoes will be front and center at the New Mexico Sustainable Agriculture Conference…

Albuquerque Healthy Neighborhoods has engaged anchor institutions in a push to hire more local workers and support local farmers and businesses. (Pixabay) <br />

Albuquerque "Anchor" Mantra: Hire Locally, Buy Locally

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Albuquerque has been slow to recover from the 2008 recession but its anchor institutions are stepping up to improve the …

Conservation groups say New Mexico and Arizona are at a tipping point for the recovery of Mexican gray wolves in the wild. (Defenders of Wildlife)

NM Residents Encouraged to Speak Out on Endangered Wolf Plan

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - New Mexico residents can tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service what they think about a revised Mexican wolf recovery plan in …

People across New Mexico are getting ready to hit the streets for International Workers Day on May 1. (Wikimedia/Creative Commons)

May Day Protest Plans Build Across NM

SANTA FE, N.M. -- The international observance of May Day on May 1 will get a boost in participation across New Mexico from working-class families …

Groups that oppose the pending mergers of giant companies that sell seeds and pesticides are pressing the new U.S. Attorney General to review the three mega-deals. (belfastEileen/iStockphoto)

NM Groups Press for Scrutiny of Agribusiness Mega Mergers

SANTA FE, N.M. – Some New Mexico groups are joining the call for more scrutiny of mega-mergers now in the works between multinational …

Navajo leaders want the BLM to halt new exploration near Chaco Culture National Historic Park until an environmental study is done. (National Park Service)

Bill Asking BLM to Stop New Chaco Canyon Drilling Gets Hearing Today

SANTA FE, N.M. – Navajo leaders are expected to speak today at a committee hearing at the Roundhouse on oil and gas drilling near Chaco Culture …

The habitat favored by the greater sage grouse has been reduced greatly by conversion to cropland driven by the renewable-fuel standard. (twildlife/iStockphoto)

Report: Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard Hurt the Environment

SANTA FE, N.M. - Millions of acres of prime prairie habitat have been eaten up by agriculture in recent years because the renewable-fuel standard …

Conservation groups will defend in court the BLM's new rules on methane waste at oil and natural gas facilities. (Jens Lambert Photography/iStockphoto)

Conservation and Public Health Groups to Defend BLM Methane Rules in Court

SANTA FE, N.M. -- More than a dozen conservation and public health groups are making plans to defend the Bureau of Land Management's new methane …

A new study shows that killing predators like the Mexican Gray Wolf may not reduce livestock losses.(Endangered Wolf Center)

Report: Killing Wolves and Coyotes May Not Protect Livestock

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The practice of killing predators such as wolves, coyotes and bears to protect livestock has little scientific validity, …

A New Mexico judge's order has blocked a Roswell company from opening a horse slaughterhouse. (sgarton/morguefile)

Animal Advocates, New Mexico Win Fight to Block Horse Slaughter

SANTA FE, N.M. - A state district judge's order has put an end in New Mexico to plans for the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The state …

At least one New Mexico conservation group says the armed militia that took over over a national wildlife refuge is treading on other Americans' public lands and their right to enjoy them. (DodgertonSkillhouse/morguefile)

New Mexico Wildlife Group Protests Oregon Land Takeover

ALBUQUERQUE, N. M. – The director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation traveled to rural Oregon this week to join a group of people protesting …

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