Fall 2021 New Mexico Farm and Ranch

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NEW MEXICO FARM AND LIVESTOCK BUREAU®

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NMF&LB President’s Column TRACTOR SEAT DAYDREAMING

BY CRAIG OGDEN

Remembering the Farmers and Ranchers

Another summer is gone and we are now in the season of autumn. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for this year to be over and done with! It just feels like a trying time for everyone. We started the year with a severe drought. Many had to reduce cattle numbers and reduce acreage farmed. To add to these obstacles, inputs have increased in price, crops were hailed on in some areas and there is a nonexistent labor force, just to name some of the challenges that have affected not only agriculture, but many industries.

Ogden cont. on page 18

AFBF President’s Column BEYOND THE FENCEROWS

BY ZIPPY DUVALL

The Challenges Facing Young Farmers

I have been a farmer my whole life. Starting when I was just a young boy, I would help my dad around the farm, and as I got older, I took on more responsibility. I could often be found early in the morning in the barn, milking cows before school. I was fortunate to take over the family farm from my dad like he did and many others have for generations. When I was a young man, the average age of a farmer was just 50 years old, but today it is over 57 years old.

That means there are fewer young people in agriculture – a troubling sign for the future of family farms.

Duvall cont. on page 20

NMF&LB CEO’s Column CHATTING WITH CHAD

BY CHAD SMITH

Important Issues on the Horizon

It is hard to believe fall is already here but yet as we eye the end of the 2021 we realize there is lot of work ahead of us. I also use this time to reflect back on the work we have done this past year, and rest assured it has been extremely busy advocating for our members. Over the past year New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau has tackled many challenges and embraced many opportunities. Our efforts should not go unrecognized. As we began the year under health orders we had to adapt, and I would say we did a heck of a job. Surrounded by a great team we provided many opportunities to engage our members while continuing Smith cont. on page 16

On the cover: Carol McMillan, co-owner of Rio Grande Winery, harvests grapes to be used in their Malbec wine.

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Rio Grande Winery – An Experience in Community

By Dalene Hodnett, Director of Communications and Media Relations

Grapes and wine production have been an integral part of New Mexico’s agricultural history since the early 1600’s when newly arrived Spaniards needed wine for communion. Originally, they had to import wine from their home country for their religious ceremonies, but eventually planted the state’s first vineyards just south of Socorro in 1629. By 1880, New Mexico’s churches were producing over a million gallons of wine annually. In 1977, the first commercial vineyards were planted and now our state has over 1,200 acres of grapes. Owning 30 acres of those vineyards is Randy and Carol McMillan of Rio Grande Winery. Located in the Mesilla Valley, the winery produces several varieties of wines from their sangiovese, malbec, muscat, mission, chardonnay, petit Verdot and refosco grapes.

“We just love wine,” says Randy when asked why he added winery owner to his career fields of real estate broker and chile producer. “When this property came open a year and a half ago we jumped at the chance to own a winery.” The

Grapes harvested by volunteers; Randy McMillan and his daughter Jenna in the fermenting room; The Organ Mountains

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McMillians already had 20 acres of grapes in an agri-suburb which they sold to wineries across the state. “This was a great opportunity to have our own winery,” says Randy.

“What we’re trying to do is build a community of wine lovers,” says Richard McDonald, Rio Grande Winery’s winemaker.

To that end, they have hosted a series of “volunteer harvests” where families, friends and a couple of college students come out early on Saturday mornings and help pick whatever is ripe.

On the morning I was there I saw couples with very young children, a group of friends on a “girl’s weekend” and some fellow church members who Before the grapes can be harvested, nets protecting them from the birds must be removed volunteered knowing that the labor supply is tight. I picked across a row from Carol, Randy’s wife and she remarked what a great crop it was. “We’re just so blessed,” she said. “We’re so thankful for this great harvest and the friends who have come out to help. God is good.” It’s been a great year for grape production and Richard estimates the number of grapes doubled from last year. “We will press about 80 tons of grapes this year. Each ton produces about 800 bottles,” says Randy.

After we harvested a row, we all gathered at the winery for a “Lucille Ball” kind of grape stomping. The kids had a great time, the adults were a bit more reserved. Afterwards the winery served lunch to the volunteers and we talked about the grapes we had harvested and what type of wine they would make. “We love that our customers will be drinking next fall what they harvested this fall,” says Randy.

The winery offers live music on the weekends, a food truck and sweeping vistas of the Organ Mountains. We recently visited on a Friday night and enjoyed the country music band, the big dance floor, and chicken skewers from a local Greek food truck. Rio Grande Winery is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9pm and on Sundays from 4-7pm.

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Leyendecker Ag Day, Connecting Research with Results

By Dalene Hodnett, Director of Communications and Media Relations What happens at a New Mexico State University Agricultural Experiment Station? Research, education and outreach, all of which strengthen agriculture in our state. “The NMSU Agricultural Experiment Station houses 12 agricultural science research centers across the state,” says Dr. Leslie Edgar, Associate Dean and Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station System. “New Mexico has a diverse agricultural environment consisting of three different crop production regions, 11 plant hardiness zones, five defined watersheds, and 126 different soil types. These research stations located throughout the state enables agricultural researchers the ability to provide valuable research-supported insights for local producers.”

The state-wide Science Centers are located near Alcalde, Artesia, Clayton, Clovis, Corona, Farmington, Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Mora and Tucumcari. Scientists conduct research on pest eradication, soil amendments and drought tolerant plant varieties to make farming more viable. They also host open houses to provide education for area students on various beneficial pests and conduct outreach events for local communities about the significant impact of agriculture on the state’s economy. abundant seeds on a hemp plant

Recently the Leyendecker Plant Science Center held a Field Day to showcase their research projects. One such project was the growing of both fiber and cbd hemp. Dr. Catherine Brewer and Hanah Rheay discussed how the plant material can be used for insulation or for a cattle feed crop. Unfortunately, there’s a current lack of processing plants for the fiber leaving hemp farmers with an abundance of unusable plant material. One promising result of their trials is the hemp oil. “These seeds produce as much oil as soybean, so there is a potential for biodiesel and sustainable jet fuels, especially if you’re growing on a soil that’s not suitable for human consumption,” says Rheay. “In phytoremediation trials we’re growing hemp on uranium contaminated soil and when pressed, the oil contains just trace amounts of uranium. That allows us to clean up that soil in a very sustainable way,” says Brewer.

Dr. Heerema talks about pecan irrigation Page 6

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Dr. Richard Heerema, Extension Pecan Specialist presented his research on pecan orchard irrigation systems.

He explained how by irrigating just one side of the tree line with drip tape, a technique called partial root zone drying, allows you to produce the same amount of pecans with less water. This method involves irrigating one side of the tree while drying the other. On the dry side, the plant stomata perceives it is in a drought and signals the plant to conserve water, while at the same time the tree is receiving adequate Fall 2021

Serving Northern New Mexico

Christopher Pierce explains aerial imagery and drone use

water for crop production. This deficit irrigation strategy conserves water without reducing yields.

Christopher Pierce’s research is also focused on irrigation, specifically using aerial imagery to evaluate crop genetic improvement for drought tolerant alfalfa varieties.

Partnering with the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research, Cornell University and Virginia Tech, Pierce is using drones to evaluate crop production. Utilizing proximal sensing they create genomic prediction models for improving crop genetics under water deficit conditions.

Stressing the importance of real-world research like this, Dave Lowry, Superintendent Farm Manager of Leyendecker says “Our researchers are working diligently to address issues and threats facing agriculturalists not only specifically here in New Mexico but across the country and globally as well. For example, as we all know, water is scarce here in the Desert Southwest. As is our duty and responsibility to our stakeholders in the state, faculty are focusing on many different sectors of this broad issue but all with the same goal in mind, how do we maximize the benefit from our most precious natural resource? As a response, our researchers are currently looking at more precise modes of irrigation to potentially increase efficiency and reduce overall consumption. They’re utilizing cross-breeding as a way to focus on drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant varieties of multiple staple crops for our state, experimenting with crops novel to our region that could possibly do well in our climate and open a new commodity market. They’re also testing drone technology, possibly artificial intelligence in the near future, to better adapt current crop varieties and management practices to our ever-changing climate. This work is just what is being done in the field but in order to make it viable information for the end user, there is much collaboration between colleges, from agriculture to economics to engineering.”

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Fall 2021

Taxed to Death? How the elimination of the step-up in basis affects American agriculture

By Dalene Hodnett, Director of Communications and Media Relations Step-up in basis. Do you know what it is and how it protects your family farm/ranch/dairy operation? Under current tax law, step-up in basis is a longstanding tax provision that says that capital gains taxes are not imposed when assets are transferred at death to an heir. This is how farms and ranches are kept intact, as generational land is passed down without being assessed capital gains tax. If land is never sold, capital gains taxes are never collected. That rankles Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-MD; Cory Booker, D-NJ; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI; Elizabeth Warren, D-MA; and Bernie Sanders, I-VT who introduced the Sensible Taxation and Equity Promotion (STEP) Act. The STEP Act would eliminate stepped-up basis at death. “The stepped-up basis loophole is one of the biggest tax breaks on the books, providing an unfair advantage to the wealthy heirs every year. This proposal will eliminate that loophole once and for all. It’s time to stop subsidizing massive inheritances for the rich and start investing in everyday Americans,” said Van Hollen in a news release. The elimination of step-up on basis was included in President Biden’s American Families Plan as a way to “combat wealth inequality and raise revenue.” The proposal would eliminate step-up in basis for inherited assets greater than $1 million for individuals’ estates and $2 million for married couples’ estates.

Our nation’s food producers know that the opposite is true, that step-up in basis protects middle class farmers and ranchers, ensuring that they don’t suffer from a financial burden as our elders pass. If farmers and ranchers are forced to pay capital gains accrued by the previous generation, because the land accrued in value, they would likely face large tax bills that would force them to sell land to cover the tax liability.

This is reflected in research conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture which concluded, in a report titled The Effect on Family Farms of Changing Capital Gains Taxation at Death, that “17 percent of small farms, 66 percent of midsized farms, 80 percent of large farms, and 96 percent of very large farm operations would have a new tax burden” with the elimination of step-up in basis. This directly contradicts administration claims that only two percent of family farms would be affected by its proposed changes. “By its own account, USDA now shows changes in stepped-up basis will saddle many family farms with millions of dollars in taxable gains that could be subject to capital gains tax rates as high as 43.4 percent,” says U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. ”According to USDA, family farmers and ranchers who would have an additional tax liability with the elimination of stepped-up basis, through either immediate or deferred taxes, are responsible for 65 percent of our nation’s agricultural production. Put simply, USDA’s own economists have shown that the administration’s plans pose a threat to rural America.”

Tamara Hurt, a certified public accountant and active in the ag community, concurs. “It affects everyone in one form or another, even the client that does not have much, ag and non-ag alike. I had a horse breeder whose husband passed away and after he died she could not deal with it and sold horses and property. The total was about $450,000. Without the stepup in basis, she would have paid capital gains on about $300,000 resulting in about $42,235 in taxes.

I had a client that had built a small rental property next to their home. It was their supplemental income to a small pension and their Social Security. The husband was a retired construction worker. They had a basis of about $20,000 in the home and after the husband passed away, the wife sold the small rental for $85,000. This was their entire savings. They would have paid tax on $65,000 in capital gains at a 15% rate had it not been for the step-up in basis when the husband passed away. Because of the step-up, she paid zero taxes.

Another one that hits almost every family is the sale of the parents’ home by the children after the parents pass away.

They may have lived in it for forty years. If they sold it during their lifetime, they get an exemption as it was their principle residence. The children have not lived in the home two out of the last five years (although they may have grown up there), so they will pay capital gains on the difference in what their parents paid and what it sells for today.

Many times the amount that is paid is on inflation - not really an increase in value. In agriculture, in many places, it means the difference in keeping part of the property, or having to sell even more to pay the taxes.”

This elimination of step-up in basis, while being hailed as a way to make the wealthy pay their fair share, will actually devastate family agriculture in our country.

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NEW MEXICO AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM SAYS THANKS! W e so ap preciat e these sponsors and t heir support of our program.

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Don Hartman – A Conservation Story

Don Hartman in a cotton field irrigated by drip tape

For twenty years Don Hartman, a farmer in Luna County, has utilized drip tape in order to conserve water. “Everything we grow is on drip tape, chile, onion, watermelons, hay, wheat, oats, grain sorghum, it’s all on drip. It significantly reduces our irrigation needs since the water is applied directly to the root zone.”

Drip tape is buried six inches deep and can be in place for more than 15 years. It is controlled by a central unit, which Hartman can program with his phone. “We can determine which fields we want to irrigate, how long and the frequency. I used to have an irrigator for each of my three farms using siphon tubes or surface pipe, with this system I can irrigate five farms by myself.”

Not only is Hartman realizing savings in water and labor, he’s also able to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates by irrigating at night. This saves him 50% on his electric bill.

Another savings is on inputs. “We’re using a third less fertilizer since it’s being precisely applied, rather than broadcast or sent through furrows.”

drip tape is like an underground garden hose with emitters

Hartman also conserves water by creating 6,000 tons of compost a year. “For every one percent of organic matter added to the soil, the water holding capacity is doubled. So irrigation can be stretched from every 4-5 days to every 7-8 days. It takes two to three months for the compost to be ready and is created out of crops stubble and dairy manure.”

Realizing all Hartman has done to conserve natural resources, it’s no surprise he’s been nominated to the national Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence. This prestigious award is presented by the National Conservation Planning Partnership’s to recognize a top conservation planner.

Bennett is known as the Father of Conservation, credited with raising national awareness about soil conservation during and after the Great Dust Bowl. Congratulations Don!

Hartman in front of his compost field Page 12

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ACES Welcoming Ceremony, A tradition that feels right at home

By Brandon Larañaga

Tradition is a valuable trait that is often overlooked. Tradition honors the legacies of the past, while simultaneously paving the way for the future. Few industries rely on tradition as heavily as agriculture does, and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Welcoming Ceremony at New Mexico State University is the perfect embodiment of this.

Every year during Homecoming week, the College of ACES hosts its annual Welcoming Ceremony to celebrate a new generation of students that enter the college while honoring those that are set to graduate and enter the work force. Commonly known as the ACES Branding Ceremony, the Welcoming Ceremony is a relatively new tradition that has come to manifest the camaraderie of the ACES College- a value that the college prides itself on.

“When I was a student at NMSU, we didn’t have a lot of traditions that we participated in,” said Frank Hodnett, a professor in the ACES College Department of Agricultural & Extension Education. “When we started the Welcoming Ceremony, we wanted to start a tradition that helps our students to feel like they’re part of our college, part of our family, and part of something bigger.”

The ceremony recognizes all College of ACES freshmen, transfer students, and other newcomers by presenting them with a T-shirt. The shirt is then “branded” in paint with the Sam Steel brand, a symbol inspired by Sam Steel, a student who would have been the first ever graduate of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts- what NMSU used to be known as- before his tragic murder in the year 1893.

Hodnett imprints each of these brands on the sleeves of each shirt personally, an act he takes great pride in. After all, it was partially his idea Chad Smith, NMF&LB CEO, speaks of the organization’s support of NMSU to begin the tradition in the College of ACES. “I got the idea from my oldest boy, who was attending West Texas A&M at the time,” Hodnett said. “They have a similar ceremony called Buff Branding, and I really liked what that event symbolized for those students. So we drew inspiration from that, ran with it, and developed it into the Welcoming Ceremony we have today.”

This is the ninth year that the Welcoming Ceremony has taken place. Each year, the event has grown a bit larger, integrating more of the agriculture community while further harnessing its reputation as one of the College of ACES flagship events.

Now, the event not only welcomes incoming students, but includes recognition toward graduating seniors, parents Page 14

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Trevor Rawdon is a sophomore from Portales studying agricultural education, Dr. Hodnett talks about NMSU traditions and families in attendance, the announcement of donation scholarship freshman recipients, and words of inspiration from leaders in the state’s agriculture industry.

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau is one of the primary sponsors for the event- an important opportunity that is not lost on CEO Chad Smith.

“We’re so excited to sponsor the Welcoming Ceremony,” Smith said. “These students are the future for agriculture in our state and this is a great way to support them in their endeavors in the College of ACES.” This ceremony is more than a simple formality. It’s a unique way for the college to show how much they value their students and make them feel right at home as they begin a new chapter of their lives.

“The ceremony holds a lot of meaning,” Hodnett said. “Not only for the students and the faculty, but what we stand for as an institution.”

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Smith from page 2 to fulfill our mission to strengthen and serve agriculture to enrich the lives of all New Mexicans. Please look out for our Annual Report that will be released at our 2021 Annual Meeting, it will highlight all of our great work over the past year.

Looking ahead over the next few months and even year, we have some major undertakings. WOTUS, as I am sure everyone is aware, will be re-written. The uncertainty in what that looks like is causing an extreme amount of angst and to top it off, a District Court ruiling out of Arizona on the navigable water’s protection rule exacerbated the confusion. And then we can talk about the America the Beautiful and the Biden administration’s plan to conserve 30% of our lands and water by 2030. You combine that with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Executive Order on 30 x 30 or shall we call it the 30 x 50, and that just adds to industry’s concern for the future of New Mexico food production. Also threatening the viability of agriculture not only in the state, but at a national level, is the pending human infrastructure package. The package is valued at $3.5 trillion dollars and will be funded through increased taxes targeted at the wealthy individuals and large corporations but will ultimately trickle down to our family run farms, ranches, and businesses.

Our farmers and ranchers along the border are tired, tired of the continued insecurity that our country has left them with. We continue to work and try to find solutions that are palatable to both sides of the aisle that will give our members some relief. While a lot of days it seems like we are fighting a losing battle, it is the likes of the Johnson family who tirelessly continue to advocate for solutions that keeps us going. With ongoing conversations with the administration and advocacy from the American Farm Bureau Federation, we remain hopeful that solutions are in sight.

Redistricting, this folks is extremely important. Probably one of the most important processes that could ultimately be the demise of many of our rural communities. There is a procedure established to allow for public input and so my plea to you is to engage and get involved in this process. Rural New Mexico must have a voice before your voice is further diminished in this action. Agriculture and rural New Mexico should be communities of concern and the only way to ensure we have a voice is for our grassroots to engage and involve yourself in redistricting happenings.

EPlus and our Jennings law is under attack and will likely be brought before the legislature. If not during the 30-day we can guarantee during the next 60-day. The EPlus rule will be opened at the commission this next summer. There is an organized move to remove landowner authorizations and so we are preparing to counter both initiatives, but most importantly, will need the help of our grassroots. Also equally important are the other items that we are starting to hear discussions about during the interim committees. Topics like repealing the agriculture minimum wage exemption, agricultural wage theft, animal sexual abuse are only a few. As we move closer to January and begin to have a better picture of what the session will address, we will keep you all posted through our action alerts and emails via the Daily Dirt along with updates from your regional directors.

I hate to be doom and gloom but want to make sure we have our sights set on the challenges we will need to overcome while we embrace the opportunities. We thank all of our valued members for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you next month at our Annual Meeting where we’ll be Back in the Saddle Again!

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Ogden from page 2 If you were to conduct a survey of the general public across the United States, asking what comes to mind when you think of fall, most likely you would get answers such as pumpkin spice lattes and candles, sitting around the fire pit and Halloween decorations. Sadly, not many people think of fall as the time of harvest and the fact that the American farmer is working around the clock to finish up the season in order to get their products from the fields to the consumer’s hands.

Why don’t most of the consumers appreciate the hard work that is given to make all of this possible?

Additionally, the true meaning of Thanksgiving is being overshadowed by Black Friday and who can get their Christmas decorations up first. I remember a time when everyone would get together to celebrate and share the harvest with each other and give thanks not only to the Lord, but to give thanks to the people which made all of this possible. We all need to remember there is an entire process or chain of events to get items in the hands of the consumers; that it starts with the people that grow and raise them. In a time when you can get almost any fruit or vegetable any time of the year, consumers have lost touch with the reality of harvest and peak seasons.

I do feel New Mexico is the exception. You can ask any New Mexican what crop is harvested beginning late summer through fall and you can be certain they know it is chile! They know that is the time they can expect the distinct smell of chile roasting outside of grocery stores and farm stands. Whether an avid fan of green or red, it was time to stock up for the year. We each have our favorite farm and we will drive hours to get what we think is “the best”. This Thanksgiving let us remember these words by Paul Harvey, So God Made a Farmer.

“And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker” -- so God made a Farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board” -- so God made a Farmer. “I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild; somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait lunch until his wife’s done feeding visiting ladies, then tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon -- and mean it” -- so God made a Farmer. God said, “I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt, and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say, ‘Maybe next year.’ I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make harness out of haywire, feed sacks and shoe scraps; who, planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon, and then pain’n from tractor back,’ put in another seventy two hours” -- so God made a Farmer. God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds, and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor’s place -- so God made a Farmer. God said, “I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bails, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark.” It had to be somebody who’d plow deep and straight and not cut corners; somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard week’s work with a five-mile drive to church; somebody who would bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says that he wants to spend his life “doing what dad does” -- so God made a Farmer.”

Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.

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AgFest is back and better than ever!

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 25th from 8:00 – 9:00pm, when you’ll get to visit with legislators, enjoy delicious New Mexico foods and catch up with friends from across the ag community. We are looking forward to seeing you at this celebration of the people and food of New Mexico agriculture. NMF&LB members, please check with your county board for tickets.

Fall 2021

DON’T KNOW YOUR GRAINGER REP? CONTACT YOUR Page 19 • New Mexico Farm & Ranch STATE REPRESENTATIVE TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION

Fall 2021

Duvall from page 2 There are many obstacles for young and beginning farmers: two of the most challenging are access to land and capital.

We’re all familiar with the rapid increase in farmland prices that occurred between 2009 and 2014. Well, after several years of prices holding steady, farmland prices are quickly escalating again. Average cropland prices across the country rose 7.8% just in the last year. Most young farmers can’t afford their own land. Instead, they must rent. While renting is better than having no land to farm at all, it can be incredibly unpredictable from year-to-year. And relying only on rented land for your farm business means a bank is less likely to loan you money to expand your farm – whether that’s for equipment or other essential farm tools.

Many young farmers are ready to continue the family legacy, like I was privileged to do. But current tax proposals in Congress present major roadblocks for the next generation and could even mean the death of many family farms. These proposals would eliminate stepped-up basis and impose capital gains taxes at death. These changes would cause family farms to face huge tax burdens, and potentially force them to sell off the farm piece-by-piece to pay the taxes after a family member dies. Most young farmers would sink under such hefty tax bills and might just leave farming altogether.

Another challenge for young people in rural communities is access to broadband. It is tough to keep young people, farmers or not, in rural communities when there isn’t reliable and fast internet for them to stay connected to family and friends and access vital online resources. And as more of our business shifts online, young farmers need access to online resources to buy and sell livestock and other products, monitor their farms from anywhere, and use new technologies to maximize efficiency and improve sustainability.

As the average age of farmers continues to rise, it’s harder for young farmers to find each other to talk about their experiences and share ideas on how to succeed. That’s not to say that there aren’t many opportunities for those in my generation to take younger folks under their wing, but it’s just as important to connect with your peers. The Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Program helps interested farmers collaborate and gain valuable leadership skills. When I joined my county Farm Bureau’s YF&R program, I benefitted from a support network that understood some of the challenges I was facing. I made lifelong friends and gained invaluable leadership training to take me beyond my fencerows.

Young farmers bring many new ideas to the table and we should encourage them to share their ideas with all of agriculture. We are stronger when we work together. At the Farm Bureau, we are the Voice of Agriculture and to do this effectively we need farmers and ranchers of all ages and from all backgrounds in our organization helping to develop policy solutions.

Doing so will ensure we represent all of the ways America’s farmers work to provide our world’s food, fiber, and fuel. Taking these steps will help secure the family farm’s future and American agriculture for the next generation.

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Insurance | Financial Planning Securities & services offered through FBL Marketing Services, LLC,+ 5400 University Ave., West Des Moines, IA 50266, 877/860-2904, Member SIPC. Advisory services offered through FBL Wealth Management, LLC.+ Farm Bureau Property & Casualty Insurance Company,+* Western Agricultural Insurance Company,+* Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company+*/West Des Moines, IA. +Affiliates. * Company providers of Farm Bureau Financial Services. WM015 (1-21)

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New Mexico Farm & Ranch

Fall 2021

Non Profit Organization PRSRT MKT

US POSTAGE

PAID

2220 N. Telshor Las Cruces, NM 88011

PERMIT 1152

Albuquerque, NM

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

NEW MEXICO FARM & LIVESTOCK BUREAU Since 1917 . . . a Leader in New Mexico

NMF&LB 2220 N. TELSHOR BLVD. LAS CRUCES, NM 88011 575.532.4700 • FAX: 575.532.4710 OFFICERS Craig Ogden President, Loving Larry Reagan 1st Vice President, Ft. Sumner Boe Lopez 2nd Vice President, Springer Chad Smith Chief Executive Officer

BOARD BOARD OF OF DIRECTORS DIRECTORS

Burl BurlBrown, Brown,Des DesMoines Moines Bud BudDeerman, Deerman,La LaMesa Mesa Crystal CrystalDiamond, Diamond,Elephant ElephantButte Butte Jim Ellett, Hope Jim Ellett, Hope Duane DuaneFrost, Frost,Claunch Claunch Travis TravisHarris, Harris,San SanAntonio Antonio Don DonHartman, Hartman,Deming Deming Gary GaryHathorn, Hathorn,Flora FloraVista Vista Leon LeonHemann, Hemann,McDonald McDonald John JohnJackson, Jackson,Lake LakeArthur Arthur Deena DeenaKinman, Kinman,Elida Elida Donald DonaldMartinez, Martinez,El ElRito Rito Steve SteveMyrick, Myrick,Clovis Clovis Tommy TommyOrtiz, Ortiz,Las LasVegas Vegas Stewart StewartRooks, Rooks,Gila Gila Troy TroySauble, Sauble,Maxwell Maxwell Mario MarioTrujillo, Trujillo,Questa Questa Tom TomWilton, Wilton,Ft. Ft.Sumner Sumner Anita AnitaHand, Hand,Chair Chair Women’s Women’sLeadership LeadershipCommittee Committee Andy AndyEllett, Ellett,Chair Chair Young YoungFarmers Farmers& &Ranchers RanchersCommittee Committee

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REGIONAL DIRECTORS Benjie Segovia Katelin Spradley REGIONAL DIRECTORS Benjie Segovia ValerieSpradley Huerta Katelin Director of Organization Valerie Huerta Tiffany Rivera Director of Organization Director of Governmental Affairs Tiffany Rivera Curry Director ofTraci Governmental Affairs Director, Ag in the Classroom Traci Curry Britney Director, Ag in Lardner the Classroom Coordinator, Ag in the Classroom Britney Lardner Francisco Coordinator, Ag in Hatay the Classroom Membership and Marketing Manager Francisco Hatay Dalene Hodnett Manager Membership and Marketing Director of Communications and MediaHodnett Relations Dalene Director of Communications Cecilia Diaz-Johnson and Media Relations Bookkeeper Cecilia Diaz-Johnson Bookkeeper Theresa Widner Executive Administrative Assistant Theresa Widner Executive Administrative Assistant Spring 2021 Fall 2021