by Mike White,
President New Mexico Farm &Livestock Bureau

New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau strives to represent all of agriculture in our state – large, small, crops, livestock, conventional and organic. We represent wine growers, ranchers, cotton and wool producers.  We advocate for dairy families and alfalfa, wheat, chile and onion farmers. We support pecan, pistachio, peanut and apple growers. We are agriculture in New Mexico.… Read the rest

What do the Kellogg Foundation, the McCune Charitable Foundation, and the Thornburg Foundation all have in common? Besides being some of the most well-endowed and influential foundations in the U.S., they’re also partners in the Resilience in Ag program initiated by New Mexico First and hosted by the NMSU Extension Service. The Resilience in Ag program is an effort to develop a Statewide Resiliency Plan that will:

Create common ground regarding food and agriculture policies

Generate ideas for more economic value for producers and economic vitality for communities

Develop strategies to support young people who want to stay with or get back into agriculture

Address water, land-use, climate and economic challenges facing the agricultural industry

Support agriculture’s contribution to health related solution of consumers and communities

Contribute to worker, consumer and community welfare

Statewide meetings are the first step of the plan whereby they receive stakeholder input.… Read the rest

by Mike White

Those of us in agriculture know that our animals are the center of our lives.  We are constantly checking, watering, and feeding them to ensure their good health. It is a common occurrence for ranchers to bring new born calves into the house to warm them after a cold February birth. For dairymen to hand feed calves until they’re strong enough to be on their own.  For horse owners to spend hours walking their favorite mare who is battling colic.… Read the rest

by Mike White, President NMF&LB

Leon and Betty Hemann, alfalfa farmers near McDonald, New Mexico, were named Farm Family of the Year by the state’s largest agriculture organization at the 97th annual meeting of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau.

Leon was born in Oklahoma where he spent many summers helping his father around his farm and ranch. Betty was also born into a farm and ranch family in Lea County.  They met as seniors at Tatum High School and were married after graduation.… Read the rest

by Mike White, President NMF&LB

No doubt you’ve seen something like the photo below, a set of solar panels attached to a water pump or a corner next to a circle that has a 2-3 acre solar panel system. Whether it’s for cattle or crops, New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers have been on the leading edge of solar use and technology. This is typical of our industry, we are early adopters of technology and on the forefront of conservation. We’ve had to reuse, recycle and reduce since the beginning of time since farmers and ranchers are typically far removed from major commerce areas and a run to town to buy something new was not an option.… Read the rest

by Mike White,

Remember when margarine was the latest greatest thing and it was so much healthier than butter? Remember when salt was bad for you, and everyone, including your wife and Mayor Bloomberg, wanted to eliminate it from your diet? While Michelle Obama removed all salt shakers from the school cafeteria and let’s not even get started on the dangers of red meat.

Now we know that the field of nutrition, much like climate change, is always changing and what was out of your diet last year should be in this year.… Read the rest

Agriculture is constantly seeking and benefiting from technology, whether it is GPS guided tractors, moisture sensors that allow us to control irrigation systems remotely through our phones and ipads, or utilizing artificial insemination to encourage uniformity and improve herd genetics.

Drones are proving to be a valuable tool for agriculture. You can remotely check livestock, spray a crop, and ensure a field is being watered evenly all at the touch of a joystick.… Read the rest