Senator Luján Hosts U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Staff to Tour New Mexico Agriculture Industry

Thursday 2-22-24, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján  welcomed staff members from the U.S. Senate Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry to New Mexico to hear directly from farmers, ranchers, and producers about their experiences navigating federal services. Luján’s first visit was to Don Bustos’ Farm in Santa Cruz, New Mexico to meet with a local farmer and discuss the challenges and opportunities that small, minority producers face in New Mexico.

Next, Luján and Senate Agriculture Committee staff members traveled to New Mexico State University (NMSU) Agriculture Science Center farm in Alcalde, New Mexico to meet with NMSU staff to discuss the importance of farming in rural New Mexico in relation to sustainability for Habitats, wildfire and forest recovery. Following this, Luján and Agriculture Committee staff toured the Los de Mora Growers’ Cooperative, a small food market featuring locally grown produce, eggs, and meat, in addition to commercial food products.

Luján also hosted a roundtable discussion with Agriculture Committee Staff and several agriculture and nutrition organizations from across New Mexico to discuss several of Luján’s legislative initiatives that support farmers, ranchers, and producers. Lastly, Luján and staff visited the Acequia de Canoncito de la Cueva to highlight how acequias are impacted by conservation programs in the Farm Bill. Their conversations also focused on how the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire and subsequent flooding impacted acequias.

“As Farm Bill negotiations continue, the conversations we had today matter,” said Senator Luján. “It was a special honor to welcome staff members from the Senate Agriculture Committee to New Mexico to see our state’s agriculture industry up close and personal and what makes it such a unique place.

“From hearing directly from local farmers about the challenges and opportunities they face, to discussing the importance of our state’s rural farming, and seeing the local fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat provided for our communities – these conversations help ensure the Farm Bill directly contributes to their success.

Senator Luján continued, “It was also critical to highlight the importance of acequias and underscore how this intricate system has been impacted by devastating wildfires and discussed how conservation programs can better support. I look forward to taking these conversations back to Washington and working with my colleagues to ensure the Farm Bill delivers for New Mexico’s agricultural industry.”

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