Late Summer: Democracy

Throughout this issue, we offer a wide-ranging portrait of our state’s political landscape through the lens of food and agriculture. We explore the possibilities of industrial hemp in New Mexico, inquire why most beef raised in New Mexico is exported despite the centrality of cattle ranching to our agricultural economy, and look into the deep cuts to the Supplemental Food Assistance Program in the proposed federal Farm Bill that could destabilize already vulnerable populations and undermine local businesses.

This November, Americans will head to the polls to vote in what many political pundits are calling the most important midterm election in decades. New Mexicans will decide on a new governor, one Senate and three House seats, a State Supreme Court position, and several other state and municipal offices. As a publication dedicated to empowering readers to make a difference in our food system, this edition of edible looks at some of the critical food issues facing our state and at the candidates who will potentially have the power to shape local and national policy for years to come. If there is an underlying argument to every page in this issue, it is that a strong local food system is foundational to a strong democracy, one where we all share a stake in the long-term health of our land and water, in the growth of local businesses, and in our greater community’s ability to eat well.

Throughout this issue, we offer a wide-ranging portrait of our state’s political landscape through the lens of food and agriculture. We explore the possibilities of industrial hemp in New Mexico, inquire why most beef raised in New Mexico is exported despite the centrality of cattle ranching to our agricultural economy, and look into the deep cuts to the Supplemental Food Assistance Program in the proposed federal Farm Bill that could destabilize already vulnerable populations and undermine local businesses. We also re-examine fracking in northern New Mexico, and look to the Village of Corrales for a template of how a community can support its local farmers, one acre at a time. Finally, we talk with Michelle Lujan Grisham and Stephanie Garcia Richard, candidates for governor and land commissioner, respectively, as well as Senator Martin Heinrich and US representative candidate Deb Haaland. Through these conversations, we hope readers will better understand these candidates’ positions on issues that directly impact our local food options and our broader landscape.

“There’s nothing more political than food,” the late Anthony Bourdain would often say. The pages that follow bolster Bourdain’s point. In New Mexico—one of the hungriest states in the nation—the basic questions of who gets to eat, and what they get to eat, are both political at their core and as salient as ever. When it comes to supporting local food, we often encourage readers to vote with their wallets. This fall, we also hope you make your voices heard at the ballot box.