Winter Warmth

Rows of beans planted at Raul Rodriguez’s Farm in Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico

Hand harvesting this mound of beans is a gigantic undertaking

All of the beans at the Rodriguez Farm are hand harvested – very labor-intensive work.

As the temperatures drop, there is nothing more satisfying that a hot and hearty stew. We’re delighted to share this delicious recipe for a Black Bean Chorizo Stew and how you can source (almost) all of the ingredients from the Santa Fe Farmers Market Farmers vendors. Enjoy!

We begin with our main ingredient, black beans. Raul Rodriguez harvests his beans by hand at his 20-acre farm in Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico. Raul and his family are life-long farmers and have been year-round vendors at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market since 2010. He experiences late frosts at his farm, so he plants his beans after Mother’s Day in May each year. Half of his farm is dedicated to fresh vegetables and the other half to his signature Pinto, Anasazi and Black Beans. “The Pintos are ready first as they have a three-month growing season; the Anasazi and Black Beans take longer. All of the beans are ready by November,” Raul said. He added that what makes his beans special is that “everything is done by hand. Sometimes customers think our prices are high, but then when they realize everything is done by hand on our farm then they understand the effort behind bringing the beans to market.”

Jim Whiteker, owner of Red Mesa Meats, talks with customers at his booth.

Next on our shopping list is Chorizo, and we head over to talk with Jim Whiteker, owner of Red Mesa Meats in Leyba, New Mexico. Jim specializes in grassfed beef, as well as GMO-free and free-range Berkshire Pork. Jim has 7,000 acres on which he raises 100 head of cows (60 acres per head). He also raises 40-60 pigs in pens over the course of year. The pigs are fed a special diet that he has developed over time. Asked why he became a rancher back in 1984, Jim said that he “figured out a lot of things that I didn’t want to do for 40 hours a week, and then discovered ranching which I actually enjoy doing 60 to 80 hours a week.”

He started farming in Central Texas in a community that was located between a “Czech town and a German town. I realized that no one was preparing sausages the same way here in New Mexico and so I developed my own recipe.” The recipe remains “secret,” but it does include paprika and red pepper, he confessed. He shared that a food writer from Mexico City once tasted his Chorizo and proclaimed it “the best north of the border!” It’s no wonder that on a recent Saturday a customer had driven up from Albuquerque just to purchase Red Mesa’s bacon and sausage. Now in his 17^th year at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, Jim is can be found there from April to December. However, his appearance is self-described as “sketchy between December and April.”

Trinidad and Victor Mendez, 2022 All Star honorees, offer three different varieties of sweet onions at their booth: Red River, White Candy and Yellow Onions. They plant their Yellow Onions on their farm in El Guique, NM in April. Trinidad, Victor, brother Luis along with one helper farm the 1.5 acres that the family owns, and another 10 acres that they lease. Year-round vendors at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market since 2009, they are also known for their greens, tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes. But don’t stop by in late December and January when the family takes a well-deserved break!

Now we’re on to seasoning. Although we know that Jim spices his sausage with red pepper, if you have a hankering to add more, you can visit with 2017 All Star honoree Ric Gaudet at One Straw Farm. Ric’s cayenne pepper is a combination of Regular Cayenne, Chile del Arbo and Thai Chile. There are more than a couple of options for garlic, but two that are readily available year-round are from Stan Crawford’s El Bosque Garlic Farm and Kristen Davenport and Avrum Katz’s Yuccabird Herb Farm (previously known as Boxcar Farm). Or you could incorporate Peach Malmaud’s Garlic-Infused Olive Oil from Dome Valley Garlic Oil and save a step, as the garlic and olive oil are already combined for you (available seasonally in the summer). Last but not least, visit Annie’s Herb Farm for Cilantro, a member of the parsley family derived from the fresh leaves of the coriander plant. The 2022 All Star honoree is present at the Market, April through December.

We prefer a dollop of yogurt from Camino de Paz School & Farm to finish the dish (along with avocado and lime, not grown in the region). Camino de Paz’s website described its Montessori Secondary School and Farm as “a land-based, academic community currently serving grades 7-12. Our mission is to support adolescents as emerging adults with pathways to meaningful work and real-world engagement as they develop skills, perspectives, and competencies that prepare them to address contemporary local and global challenges.” We caught up with Felix, a fifth-year student and vendor at the Market booth. He said that “currently the cow’s milk for the yogurt comes through a trade with a local farmer, but that soon they will be milking two of their own Jersey Cows.” Knowledgeable about the process of pasteurizing the milk, adding enzymes to add thickness, and cultures to give yogurt its texture and flavor, Felix was a passionate salesperson at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market booth that the Camino de Paz School & Farm staffs every Tuesday and Saturday Market year-round.

Serve the stew with a Whole Wheat Nativo Sourdough bread from Rosa Lemus at Cloud Cliff Bakery based here in Santa Fe. Rosa is a vendor at every Tuesday and Saturday Market, including the seasonal Del Sur Market located in the Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center parking lot (4801 Beckner Road).



Bon Appetit!

Putting “Ann(s)” in the ANN-ual Appeal Campaign

Ann Lavine Shares her Experience with the Institute at Last Spring's Luncheon

The Annual Appeal Campaign is the foundation of all successful fundraising. Donors contribute to the fund to support the ongoing programs of the organization, essentially to fulfill its mission and meet the needs of the community it serves. The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute’s Annual Campaign is currently ongoing, and we hope that you will contribute to it to help us meet the 3:1 $100,000 challenge by December 31, 2022.

For this article we reached out to three of our donors named Ann for their insight into the reason to give to the annual campaign of a nonprofit organization. Santa Fe philanthropist Ann Aceves said, “I believe in supporting the community where I live. It is really important to contribute locally. With the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute, not only does the monetary support make a real difference to the organization, but it also gives the farmers the sense of people who support them enjoying the food that they produce. It encourages them to keep going.”

Volunteer and patron Ann Lavine explained that for her and her husband Kevin, shopping at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market and donating to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute “speaks directly to the values we hold dear.” She added, “First and foremost, we’re able to shop in a sustainable way. We don’t, for example, just buy a squash. We buy a squash that’s been grown within a 50-mile radius, not shipped on average 1,500 miles. Secondly, we like to support the local economy. The money we hand the farmer stays in the community. And finally, the Institute tackles the issue of food inequality through various programs such as the Double Up Food Bucks program. People on food assistance can double their purchasing power, making fresh produce accessible to so many more people.”

Ann Griffith Ash is a long-time supporter of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute. Although she divides her time between homes in San Antonio and Santa Fe, she makes a monthly recurring gift to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute. Ann believes that “giving monthly helps to cover the monthly expenses of the nonprofit organization. It is also convenient. I don’t have to think about it. I know that every month I am supporting the great community of farmers – they are an important part of our country’s heritage.”

The draw of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market is the common thread in supporting the Institute. Ann Ash said that she “loves farmers markets and the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market is one of the best in the country.” Ann Lavine concurred, saying, “Where else can one so easily find spicy lettuce mix, daikon radish sprouts, fresh apple strudel, or Thelma Sanders squash. We have delighted many dinner guests with our rich variety of food from the Market.” Ann Aceves recalled that her late husband Jim was “first in line every Saturday morning to buy sprouts from Susan Higgins’ Sungreen Living Foods LLC. I don’t cook as much as I used to, but I can’t resist Cloud Cliff Bakery’s crunchy bread. If it is the appropriate time of year, I very much like Schwebach Farm’s fresh sweet corn.”

They all agree with Ann Aceves, who said, “If one is a loyal donor, the organization really counts on it.” Annual Appeal campaigns traditionally take place in the last quarter of the fiscal year, and the Institute is in the final two weeks of the 2022 campaign now.

One-time or recurring donations may be made through our secure website, or by sending a check made payable to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute (1607 Paseo de Peralta, Suite A, Santa Fe, NM 87501). If you are considering donating marketable securities to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute, please contact Syri Mongiello (syri@farmersmarketinstitute.org).

Patrons 70 ½ or older can give any amount (up to a maximum of $100,000) per year from an IRA directly to a qualified charity such as the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute without having to pay income taxes on the money. Please note: We must receive your gift by December 31, 2022 for your donation to qualify this year. If you have check-writing features on your IRA, please be aware that your check must clear your account by December 31st to count toward your required minimum distribution for the calendar year.

Volunteer contributions of time and talent are appreciated in a number of areas of the Institute’s work: office support and special event production are just two. At the Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, specially trained volunteers help serve our customers at the fast-paced Information Booth and in serving as Docents. Start the New Year off by signing up to volunteer.

While we hope that you will make a one-time or recurring gift this month, Ann Aceves reminds everyone that “a donation does not have to come at the end of the year. It is important to support the particular nonprofits that you believe in, but the contribution can come whenever it is a good time for the donor to contribute.”

However you choose to contribute to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute, please know that we value your support.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Top row left photo; Head of table on right Wendy Forbes listens to a question at the Marketing and Social Media Workshop. Pictured left side of table from top, SCORE Santa Fe volunteer Lisa Madison, a social media/marketing specialist at Chamisa Media; Pat Preib of Petal Pushers; Manny Encinias of Trilogy Beef Community (hidden); Astrid Yankosky and Osiris Nasnan of The Vagabond Farmers.

Top row center photo; (far right) Nery Martinez, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Manager poses a question as Stephanie Dukette of Southwest Mushroom Cultivators, Institute Program Development Director David Sundberg, and Osiris Nasnan and Atrid Yankosky of The Vagabond Farmers listen (l-R)

Top row right photo: Pictured (Top to Bottom) Workshop leader Wendy Forbes, Josh Weybright of Bright Way Ag, Pat Preib of Petal Pushers, Manny Encinias of Trilogy Beef Community, and Astrid Yankosky of The Vagabond Farmers.

Starting with the black vest center and going left Susan Higgins, Margaret Luciano, Charles Fresquez, Pat Preib, Jacqueline Beck, Manny Encinias, Jessica Swan, Latrell Kaye, Nina Ladegaard, Bonnie Murphy, Thomas Swendson, Supreet Gill, Osiris Nasnan, Jamie Cordon, Rodrigo Chavez

Photos: Anna Belian

In an interview earlier this season, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Board President Jennifer Fresquez referred to the aphorism that "a rising tide lifts all boats.” While this tenet guides Jennifer’s leadership, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute invests in this ideal through the Professional Development and Training program.

At the Institute we collaborate with local and national experts to provide a Professional Development and Training Program for Market vendors and potential new vendors. We offer scholarships for training and organize workshops of our own to help our vendors improve their skills, share knowledge, and strengthen their businesses. When everyone’s skills increase, we believe that the Market is more successful overall.

In the past, the Institute has hosted workshops on food safety, marketing and branding, social media, rainwater harvesting, value added products, and writing a business plan. This month, thanks to underwriting from the Harry Chapin Foundation, a series of Marketing and Branding workshops are rolling out. The sessions were created by Programming Development Director David Sundberg in response to demand from farmers and vendors. David described his goal for the sessions as “enabling farmers and ranchers to gain a deeper understanding of how branding and marketing strategies, specifically online and through social media, may help them to increase their sales. The workshops are also intended to introduce vendors to sales potential outside the Farmers’ Market Pavilion, especially for those with potential for more production capacity.

On December 5, 2022, Wendy Forbes, owner of Wendy92 LLC, conducted a branding and social media workshop for farmers and vendors. Wendy’s website accurately describes her as a “sought-after navigator of the increasingly complex seas of social media marketing in the tourism and hospitality industry.” Forbes works with organizations throughout New Mexico. She has consulted at the State and City levels of government, and assists nonprofit and for-profit organizations with planning and executing their outreach efforts. A gifted trainer, she is able to work with clients new to social media as well as those fine-tuning campaigns already in place.

Market Manager Nery Martinez said he was new to the concepts and best practices of social media. “While some of the theories and structures were new to me, when we worked on assignments and talked through exercises together, the value became clear to me. I look forward to learning more.”

Manny Encinias of Trilogy Beef Community in Moriarty spoke of the value of networking opportunities with colleagues. “The more we are face to face with each other, our understanding grows. I have also seen first-hand the value of meeting with prospective customers in-person, not on zoom or on the phone,” he said. “When we had the opportunity to meet with potential customers in Sandoval County, we were able to engage in a dialogue. We’re now providing the beef for all of their Senior Living Centers.”

Encinias added, “I found that writing down ideas during the reflective series of exercises, and then revisiting the questions later when I’m out on the ranch, stimulates my marketing of our products. As a Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Board Member, I wish more people would take advantage of the resources of the Institute and Market.”

On December 12, 2022, more than 30 farmers, vendors, and presenters gathered in the Market Pavilion for a presentation by Michael Venticinque, Value Chain Coordinator at New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association, focused on farm food safety practices and certification. Roundtables followed with Bonnie

Murphy of NM Association of Food Banks/The Food Depot, Supreet Gill of La Montañita Co-op, Thomas Swendson of NM Harvest, Nina Ladegaard of Squash Blossom Local Food, Alena Paisano of Public Education Department (PED), Francesca Alexander of Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECEDC), Ophelia Steppe of NM Aging and Long term Services (NMALTS), and Latrell Kaye of Agri-Cultura Network.

Also investing in the professional development of Institute Staff, a three-hour training was facilitated by veteran nonprofit consultant Jean Block. Referencing her manual The Invisible Yellow Line: Clarifying Nonprofit Board and Staff Roles, Block led the workshop exploring several key nonprofit management functions.



In the New Year, an Institute-coordinated workshop on website development, as well as one-on-one logo development sessions, are planned for Santa Fe Farmers’ Market farmers and vendors. Watch this space for more news.

Hold the Dates!

The Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute is holding a series of parent and toddler readings in collaboration with the Santa Fe Public Library. Three FREE sessions will take place at the Southside Library Branch

(6599 Jaguar Drive Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507).

On Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 11:30 join former preschool teacher Mary Dixon of Green Tractor Farm as she reads from a selection of farm-related books such as Everyone Eats! (Written and illustrated by Julia Kuo), Farmyard Beat (By Lindsey Craig and Illustrated by Marc Brown), and Apple Farmer Annie (Written and illustrated by Monica Wellington).

The series continues on Saturday, February 25 at 11:30am with Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute Operations Director Syri Mongiello reading (in Spanish and English) with her four year old son, Luca. The last session takes place on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 11:30am with Annie Krahl of Annie’s Herb Farm reading with her young daughter Mabel.

Healthy eating snacks will be served.

Please join us for these FREE to the public parent and toddler board book reading sessions.