Winter can be a time of rest, reflection, and hibernation—a season, in “normal” circumstances, to consider the successes (and failures) of the year’s literal and figurative harvests, to refine our visions, sketch new blueprints, revise our menus, and order seeds for the coming spring. In this period without precedent, more than a few of us may recoil at the prospect of yet more time tucked away in the relative comfort of our homes. But as we learn from the stories in this issue, there is important work to be done in the winter—in the garden, in the kitchen, in our food systems—and this year, the occasion to nourish the roots of a healthier, more just and equitable local food system has taken on renewed urgency.
Growing Justice
Winter can be a time of rest, reflection, and hibernation—a season, in “normal” circumstances, to consider the successes (and failures) of the year’s literal and figurative harvests, to refine our visions, sketch new blueprints, revise our menus, and order seeds for the coming spring. In this period without precedent, more than a few of us may recoil at the prospect of yet more time tucked away in the relative comfort of our homes. But as we learn from the stories in this issue, there is important work to be done in the winter—in the garden, in the kitchen, in our food systems—and this year, the occasion to nourish the roots of a healthier, more just and equitable local food system has taken on renewed urgency.
Throughout 2020, when the vulnerability of long supply chains became evident to almost everyone, New Mexican growers and organizers responded to the needs of our neighbors and communities, finding ways to distribute local produce and feed the roots of our communities through food. These grassroots acts of generosity have built on—are rooted in—long-standing efforts to empower local communities through increased access to healthy, locally grown food. As we see with Project Feed the Hood in Albuquerque, young people are addressing systemic racism by growing their own vegetables and taking their health, and that of their community and open space, into their own hands. Lois Ellen Frank reports on the way increased food sovereignty is taking root on an institutional level throughout the state, as local farmers serve tribal elder centers and public schools with healthy produce and cooks learn to work with fresh and indigenous ingredients. Collectively, such work is nourishing the roots of a more resilient, just, and healthy state.
This winter may not be easy. For many, it will be a time of sorrow, grief, anxiety. We have lost friends and family and, with them, an incalculable amount of wisdom. We have lost jobs, and we have lost treasured community businesses and the connections through and into which they are woven. Maybe it is because of so many hardships and losses that we take even more comfort than usual in the strength expressed in these stories. In sharing the work of socially engaged chefs and farmers, we also share the SouthWest Organizing Project’s open invitation to engage directly in changing our food systems. Together, tapping into the strength and vitality of our collective roots, we can look forward to an abundant—and resilient—season ahead.
Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm
An Interview with Dylan Storment, Director ofWine & Spirits, and Wine & Spirits staff Local Hero - Best Cocktail Program Photos by Stephanie CameronCampo cocktails from left to right: Lavender, The Three Guineas, and Flight of the Peacock. Landing his first...
Why Sourcing Local Food Matters
Several initiatives across the state are laying important groundwork for increased local food sovereignty. In “Why Sourcing Local Food Matters,” Lois Ellen Frank explores how New Mexico programs are making a difference for future generations.
Busy Winter Waiting
In “Busy Winter Waiting,” Marisa Thompson addresses a host of winter gardening concerns, including winter watering, mulching, and protecting young trees from a type of trunk splitting known as “southwest injury.”
Planting Seeds for Community Needs
Building a restorative relationship with the land is essential to a sustainable and equitable future. In “Planting Seeds for Community Needs: Two Chicanas’ Story about Project Feed the Hood,” Divana Olivas and Stefany Olivas discuss how Project Feed the Hood’s community garden serves as a hub for programs from cookouts and gardening workshops to school visits from nearby elementary and middle schools.
Cocktails with a Cause
Inspired by the nonprofit Bartenders Against Racism (B.A.R.), based in Washington, DC, edible New Mexico reached out to Natalie Bovis of The Liquid Muse in Santa Fe to create a cocktail that would engage our readers to take action.
Eight Around the State: Special Delivery
This guide can help readers keep their dollars local and support small farmers, producers, and businesses in New Mexico. From vegetables to meat and from pantry staples to coffee and tea, all of these featured services have online ordering with delivery or shipping options around the state.
Read on ISSUU
- Late Winter 2021: Growing Justice - January 13, 2021
- Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm - January 12, 2021
- Why Sourcing Local Food Matters - January 11, 2021