Farmer and Rancher Coop

Help us feed 2,500 students in taos county

from local farms & ranches in taos county

through a usda local reimbursable free breakfast and lunch program

We are working with a USDA planning grant to identify ways we can build capacity. Through a potential Zone Implementation Grant, we can:

• Provide support for farmers to grow capacity

• Through co-op support find efficiencies to lower production costs

• Aggregate vegetables, fruit, grains, and beef to build capacity for schools

• Provide food production safety training

• Use TCEDC for cold storage and aggregating,

• Create pathways for procurement and Farm to school engagement

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US at 575.770.6382 or projectmanager@taosfarmtoschool.org

NOT FORGOTTEN OUTREACH

ANJEL ORTIZ

Anjel delivered his freshly harvested carrots to Enos Garcia Elementary School on Oct. 24, 2019. 500 students later enjoyed farm fresh carrots on their school lunch plates.

ROBERT MARTINEZ

Robert Martinez is a seventh-generation farmer and rancher who currently raises cattle on 35 acres near Taos and provides beef for the Farmhouse farm-to-school lunch program run by Growing Community Now, a project of A.I.R.E.. The program provided breakfasts and lunches to about 600 charter school, preschool and Taos Pueblo students in the Taos area last school year.

Gaining access to the entire public-school system and other institutions through a farmers’ co-op and the redevelopment of a local slaughter/cut & wrap facility would give him the confidence to invest in land or equipment and/or take on loans to expand his operation.

DANIEL HUTCHINSON

Daniel Hutchinson is pictured here on his 30 acres of Sonoran White Wheat grown locally in northern Taos County to be used for bread, rolls, and tortillas.