ALBUQUERQUE (AP) – Vibrant green sprouts pop up from the dirt, making their debut in a strange and somewhat frightening world.
“There’s turnips, peas – it’s a good season for peas – radishes, salad mix” and more, said Albuquerque farmer Fidel Gonzalez. But for weeks, Gonzalez wasn’t sure where he would sell the vegetables, as New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham placed restrictions on dining at restaurants – one of his greatest revenue sources – in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
That “really affected my sales,” said the owner of Los Jardines de Moktezuma farm and co-founder of the farming brokerage Agri-Cultura Network. “Fortunately, this virus, this situation we’re going through, is teaching us as humans what we really need to be alive: agriculture, food.”
As local farms struggle to sustain themselves, the state’s food banks grapple with a shortage of donations, since grocers and other donors are already stretched thin on supply. Meanwhile, the number of people experiencing hunger in New Mexico continues to rise, as the pandemic has resulted in skyrocketing rates of unemployment and job insecurity.
In an effort to help, the New Mexico chapter of the American Friends Service Committee launched Farm to Foodbank, an initiative that will provide farmers monetary assistance and supplies needed to continue production this season in exchange for fresh, organic produce that can be donated to food pantries and depots across the state. Ultimately, the idea, organizers say, is to offset damage done to food growers and distributors at a time when their services are needed most.
“It’s been a wonderful win-win. It helps the farmers, and it helps the local food banks in New Mexico serve the hungriest people. It’s been great to bridge the gap between the two,” said Sayrah Namaste, program director of the state’s American Friends Services Committee – a Quaker-affiliated international nonprofit that advocates for peace and social justice, with a focus on sustainable agriculture in New Mexico.
In Farm to Foodbank’s first two “pilot” weeks, American Friends Service Committee purchased 80 pounds of produce – primarily turnips, beets and radishes – from farmers within the Agri-Cultura Network, which were brought to the state’s largest food depot, Roadrunner Food Bank, based in Albuquerque. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s calculations, the 80-pound load is equal to nearly 67 meals worth of food. As the program continues to expand, Namaste said, she expects that number to grow well into the triple digits.
Purchasing food from farms is only part of the project – “an immediate way” to make sure farmers are compensated for their work, and their produce is not wasted, Namaste said. The second tier of Farm to Foodbank is to offer farmers up to $500 worth of supplies needed to continue production during this difficult season, and in return, collect the equivalent amount of produce for partners that seek to close New Mexico’s hunger gap.
Items requested so far include seeds, irrigation systems, masks, gloves and a specialized bleach needed for kitchen sanitation. With every request, farmers sign a contract stating they will provide produce intended to serve those experiencing food insecurity sometime before Sept. 15. Organizers of the Ancestral Lands program at Acoma Pueblo, for example, requested seeds, and they’ve promised to then provide a portion of the crops to the pueblo’s senior center. Gonzalez also requested seeds – turnips, sugar snap peas and sunflowers – because “I can do more with seeds than anything else.”
The hope is that “in the long term, by buying supplies, we are keeping those farms afloat,” Namaste said, noting $500 of seeds can result in $5,000 worth of profit, and personal protective equipment can ensure workers remain healthy and on the job. “We want to be sure these local, small-scale farms survive the pandemic too, just like all small businesses.”
While American Friends Service Committee has been able to use funds from its budget to buy supplies and produce upfront, Namaste said, eventually she expects to lean heavily on donations.
Sonya Warwick, communications director for Roadrunner Food Bank, said although Roadrunner is struggling more to find nonperishable goods in bulk rather than produce, the efforts of Farm to Foodbank are greatly appreciated.
“Any time we can get access to nutritious food – especially local, nutritious food – is wonderful,” she said. “When people are willing to raise their hands in times of difficulties like these, it helps, for sure, to provide nutritious food that is very much needed right now.
“This is a very unprecedented time. As we continue to see unemployment climb in our state, that’s very concerning to us,” Warwick added. “With higher unemployment happening, we expect to see food lines continue to be long and see new faces to hunger.”
Gonzalez said he hopes Farm to Foodbank will continue even after the pandemic has passed – “Virus or no virus, we should be doing more locally to meet that demand” – but for however long it lasts, he is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community in a meaningful way.
“This is how we’re helping the food bank,” he said at his farm, pointing to a row of 2-foot-tall arugula, with little white blooms at the tips, and another line of chard, its leaves thick and textured like a wrinkled shirt.
“I feel good that we’re helping a humongous need,” he said.
