State of Affairs

Local farmers need to be praised. Growing vegetables and fruits is a challenge, especially in the harsh conditions of Cibola County, I mean, New Mexico is a literal dessert.

I tried growing beans once, and I have no idea what I did wrong, but nothing came out of the ground. I took a series of classes that required me to grow plants, but nope. Nothing ever grew.

Maybe I have a black thumb. I don’t know. But I do know that local farmers and growers are important to our county, they feed our communities, they are conservationists who manage the land and keep it viable.

“Where tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization,” Daniel Webster once said.

When humankind first learned the process of growing plants, and then utilized this tool to begin producing food, the game changed. As a species, humans did not begin our gradual takeover of the planet until we had the ability to sustain ourselves with energy. Food is energy, if utilized correctly it gives us the strength that we need to get through our work, exercises, even just to get up and move around. Food gives us the energy that gets our brains working, thinking.

Because of the art of farming – and yes, farming is an art – we have learned to read, write, master fire, electricity, and soundwaves. We have radio, television, newspapers, and the internet entirely as a result of farming.

Growing up, my dad had a garden. We lived up on Mount Taylor, just off of Lobo Canyon Road, the ground was dry and cracked. I remember wandering those hills, avoiding rattlesnakes and coyotes to the best of my ability. The ground was dry, it certainly didn’t seem easy to grow on and yet my father found a way to produce delicious fruit and vegetables. It was only ever enough for family and friends, but those Cibolans who do grow enough produce for the community need to be admired.

This is all to say, support your local farmer. There are so many sheep and cattle ranches; so many vegetable and fruit growers in Cibola. We may have some good elected officials in Cibola, some bad elected officials too, but our true leaders are those producers who feed our community.

I was pleased when Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 4, allowing every student in New Mexico to get free lunch and breakfast at school. Not only is the lunch free, but in the next three years the food must be locally sourced. This is an incredible win for our local farmers and ranchers, it might take awhile for the school district to get all of the contracts in order but soon the food our kids eat will come straight from local farmers. Cibola supporting Cibola, it’s about time.

Our locally sourced eggs, milk, cheese, and meat is not only delicious and affordable, but it comes from our neighbors. The world is in a weird place, but while the planet is struggling to find the right track for peace, Cibolans can rest easy knowing that their local farmer can ensure the community’s food supply.

Thank you to our farmers, who are vital to our future.