UNM Sustainability Studies Program Cultivate New Mexico:

Cultivating Prosperity for Local Farmers to Provide Healthy Foods for Consumers

A proposal to McCune Charitable Foundation

INTRODUCTION
The University of New Mexicos Sustainability Studies Program proposes Cultivate New Mexico, a threefold project that will be a step forward in sustainable agriculture in New Mexico. Cultivate New Mexico will educate students in the history and formation of growers markets, expand the current Lobo Growers Market at UNM, and provide local farmers with the infrastructure necessary to supply produce to local consumers and offset environmental costs of the current food-transport system. The long-term outcome of our program will help reduce the effects of greenhouse gases and also boost economic development in Central New Mexico.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE
The University of New Mexicos Sustainability Studies Program (SSP) started in 2003. Our mission is to generate experiential learning, research, and service activities that will promote a sustainable future for the bioregion, Southwest, and planet. The SSP integrates knowledge and methodologies from the Sciences, Humanities, and Arts to provide a roadmap for students that can be applied to the design, selection, and implementation of policies, practices, technologies, and sustainable strategies. While SSP values classroom learning, we emphasize the discovery and implementation of practical solutions for the local community, with the hope that these solutions will ultimately influence global sustainability. Under the leadership of biology professor Dr. Bruce Milne, SSP began offering an undergraduate minor degree in Sustainability Studies in 2007. This interdisciplinary minor complements students majors, providing them the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills in clean energy and transportation, local food production, green building and design, and systems thinking. In June 2008, SSP played a major role in the universitys adoption of a sustainability policy, which follows a holistic approach to make the campus more environmentally friendly.1 As a result, the university now runs its vehicles on eco-friendly fuel and uses sustainable materials in building projects. Always keeping in mind the people it serves, the SSP created the Alliance for the CarbonNeutral Foodshed in affiliation with the University of New Mexicos School of Architecture and Planning, New Mexico State University, the City of Albuquerque, La Montanita Co-Op, Mid Region Council of Governments Agribusiness Collaborative, Sandia Labs, New Mexico Food and Agriculture Council, Farm to Table, and the Rio Grande Community Development Corporation. By building political, social, and economic infrastructure, these collaborations show the programs students and community members that partnership is essential to fulfilling its mission. Evidence of the SSPs participation in the local community comes in the form of its many projects: The Sustainability Traveling Education Program: a solar powered educational display on sustainability that is taken to events pulled by a bio-diesel powered Mercedes van.

Reece, Caitlin. New sustainability policy helps U. New Mexico go green. 16 June 2008. Daily Lobo. Accessed 1 July 2008. http://media.www.dailylobo.com/media/storage/paper344/news/2008/06/16/News/New-Sustainability.Policy.Helps.University.Go.Green3382116.shtml

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

The Traveling Biodiesel Processor: a self-contained student-built unit that recycles leftover restaurant cooking oils to biodiesel. The Lobo Growers Market: a market that sells local growers produce during the fall semester.

By focusing on both economic and environmental needs of the community, each of these projects realizes the SSPs vision of sustainability.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
The average food item in the US travels 1,300 miles from farm gate to dinner plate. 2 This 1,300-mile journey is a result of the American food distribution systemdubbed by some as the runaway food systemthat relies heavily on the long-distance transportation of produce in bulk. Approximately 120 million tons of emissions from the greenhouse gas CO2 are directly related to domestic food transport each year, with about 77% of these emissions having global warming potential. 3 These numbers are only expected to rise. Consequently, if we are to curb global warming, we have to make significant changes to our runaway food system and learn to rely not on produce shipped from several states away but on produce grown within our local foodsheds. The net result of such a change would be economic and environmental sustainability for New Mexico. New Mexico contributes its share of greenhouse gas emissions. According to estimates, the state generates 48.6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year, with most contributing sectors including agriculture and transportationexpected to increase this amount considerably over the next decade. 4 A major way New Mexico could curtail this trend is to provide its own produce. However, due to the current food system, small-scale local farmers are unable to fulfill such a large-scale task. They neither have the resources they need to compete with out-of-state largescale farms, nor the infrastructure to package and transport their produce according to industry standards for greater local sale. While the current go green trend has fostered interest in locally grown produce, our small-scale farms cannot meet this demand. Although there are a number of growers markets in Albuquerque, they dont provide sufficient venues for farmers and enough produce to meet the needs of the local consumer. Local farmers need an economic boost. According to a USDA report, most small-scale farmers only earn about $23,000 in net cash income annually since production costs generally absorb more than 80 percent of gross sales. 5 Add to this situation the rising costs of fuel, and local New Mexican farmers need a change to the food system nearly as much as does the environment.

Wisconsin Foodshed Project. Where is our food coming from? University of Washington, Madisons Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems. Accessed 22 June 2008. <http://www.cias.wisc.edu/foodshed/> 3 Food. 2007. Food & Water Watch. Accessed 24 June 2008. <http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/factoryfarms/dairy-and-meatfactories/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-industrial-agriculture> 4 Center for Climate Strategies. Appendix D: New Mexico Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reference Case Projections, 1990-2020. 2006. New Mexico Environment Department. Accessed 24 June 2008. D-11. <http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/cc/documents/CCAGFinalReport-AppendixDEmissionsInventory.pdf> 5 Gomez, Edmund. NMSU To Host National Small Farm Conference in Albuquerque. 2002. NMSUs College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Accessed 26 June 2008. <http://spectre.nmsu.edu/media/news2.lasso?i=235>

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

However, beyond their economic impasse, local small-scale farms also need to protect and enliven their market participation because agriculture is, to them, a way of life. New Mexico has a long and rich agricultural tradition. This tradition is evident through its public-oriented Farm and Ranch Heritage Foundation, Santa Fes Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, and Albuquerques Rio Grande Heritage Farm. But the tradition thrives most vividly through its farmers, to whom agriculture is both a vocation and a lifestyle. And due to financial constraints, their farms are now in a pivotal moment that could determine whether they continue or fade into history. Consumers also need major changes in the current food system. Produce has low nutritional value due to its early harvesting and to the delay before consumers actually eat it. In a society increasingly dependent on greasy fast food and highly processed frozen meals, families need produce to offer its full nutritional value. Local produce is not readily available because farmers markets are few and far between and their stock and prices vary depending on location. All of these factors contribute to the fact that only 3% of food consumed by New Mexicans is local. 6 What are the underlying problems that need to be solved to create change? First, to meet the demand, farmers need help in overcoming the bottleneck of labor and infrastructure costs that often keeps them from thriving and growing. They also need more growers markets, and active connections with restaurants, school cafeterias, and large grocery stores where they can sell their produce. Although Albuquerque and the surrounding areas host nine growers markets, this is not enough to supply the residents in a city the size of Albuquerque. Furthermore, the lack of knowledge of growers market operations hinders the growth of successful markets and grower and consumer participation. Growers market operators face difficulties in obtaining a business license, maintaining USDA standards for resale, understanding legal documents regarding sale and business transactions, attracting local growers, and conducting effective advertising. They often lack the knowledge to build a community identity for their market that encourages consumers and growers to come together to support proper use and preservation of agricultural land in their communities that produces local food and stimulates the local economy. As a result, there is a need for strong leaders to facilitate growers markets and add to the success of growers. In the Proceedings Report of the National Farmers Market Summit in November 2007, a common concern among the attendees was the importance of establishing a minimum standard of technical experience in business planning and marketing for farmers market participants, whether through the development of a formal curriculum or the provision of other relevant continuing educational opportunities. 7 Research shows that markets using more innovative marketing practices have the capability of enhancing market development in other settings and building the local economy in small, but significant ways 8 .

Gomez, Edmund. NMSU To Host National Small Farm Conference in Albuquerque. 2002. NMSUs College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Accessed 26 June 2008. <http://spectre.nmsu.edu/media/news2.lasso?i=235> 7 USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. (2008). <http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/> 8 Hinrichs, C. C., Gillespie, G. W., Feenstra, G. W. (2004). Social learning and innovation at retail farmers markets. Rural Sociology, 69(1), 31-58.

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

Second, growers need additional ways to move their produce to market and expand their businesses. They face difficulties obtaining financing to purchase processing equipment, finding predictable markets, and transporting their produce. They also face the problem of not having enough produce ready for harvest on a given day to sell in pallets required by local grocers and cafeterias, thus keeping them from offering their food in additional markets. Growers need a way to combine resources and reduce the cost of infrastructure to allow a reliable flow of food from farm to community. As long as the current food system persists, greenhouse gas emissions will fuel global warming; local farmers will continue to struggle to support themselves and meet the markets demand; and consumers will have difficulty purchasing locally grown, nutritious produce to feed their families. If these phenomena continue, not only our environment and local economy will suffer, but more importantly, we and our children will face irreversible consequences.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of Cultivate New Mexico is to improve the economic infrastructure necessary for local farmers to more easily get their food to area residents, reduce the reliance of our community on the long-distance transportation of produce, and create a more sustainable and just way of life in our community. To achieve this goal we will Develop a network of food activists that includes local growers, operators of growers markets, UNM faculty and students, and community leaders who will work together as partners to implement sustainable agriculture in New Mexico and beyond. Educate UNM students to setup and manage growers markets and cooperative food projects so they can become leaders and future food activists. Provide service-learning opportunities for UNM students that will allow them to use their expertise in engineering, information technology, computer systems, and business management, and marketing to help design, build, and implement the project. Design and engineer an integrated and coordinated harvesting, food processing, and delivery system that addresses labor shortages for growers, increases market access for growers, and gets food to consumers a just-in-time delivery system. Educate growers and operators of growers markets about business practices that will help them strengthen and grow their businesses.

Project Description
To implement Cultivate New Mexico, we will engage in three major activities listed below. 1. Create a course at UNM on Growers Markets to educate the next generation of food activists. SUST 350: Sustainability Growers Market course will focus on the history, economics, organization, and marketing of growers markets. This course will provide 20 students with experiential learning and service activities that will give them the knowledge and skills necessary to coordinate and maintain successful growers markets and to share their
UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico 4

knowledge with the surrounding communities to promote awareness of sustainability and social responsibility. The course would be offered each spring semester beginning in 2009. This course will not only provide students with the knowledge necessary to start or manage growers markets, it will also energize them to become food activists who will help provide solutions to the current runaway food system. Through hands-on experience managing and working at the UNM Lobo Growers Market, they will apply what they learn immediately. 2. Expand and strengthen the Lobo Growers Market to provide residents with local produce and educate the community about the advantages of buying locally. The Lobo Growers Market offers an accessible outlet of locally grown food for both consumers and growers on Tuesdays from 10 am until 2 pm from April through October in UNMs Cornell Plaza. The Market has the potential to reach up to 25,000 pedestrian customers on campus. Not only does the Market offer fresh locally grown produce and food products, it also provides entertainment and education on sustainability, providing a learning laboratory for students, staff, faculty, and community members. Students from the Growers Market course will provide the labor necessary to advertise, manage, and run the Market, making sure that it is responsive to the needs of the vendors, community, and UNM campus. The students will establish relationships with farmers in the Albuquerque area in order to create a community network that can operate as a reliable and consistent market by uniting the UNM students, faculty, and staff with the farming community and neighborhood associations. They will also arrange educational presentations and entertainment and manage the setup of the Market. 3. Develop a Mobile Vegetable Harvest Assistance Program to help small local farmers reduce costs and expand markets for their produce. The Mobile Vegetable Harvesting Assistance Program (MVHAP) will promote sustainability and economic vitality by providing small farmers in Central New Mexico with a mobile vegetable harvesting assistance vehicle that will wash, package, and weigh their produce, ultimately transporting it to local restaurants and markets. The MVHAP will help small farmers by cutting labor and transportation costs, providing healthy, local-grown food to consumers, and cultivating sustainable agriculture in New Mexico. The UNM Sustainability Studies Program will collaborate with faculty, students, and community members to provide the initial management, design, and setup for the MVHAP. Part of this work will include developing a viable business model so that within a year the MVHAP will be run and managed by a newly developed Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop. Initial tasks include working with: Local farmers, food distribution vendors, and community leaders to create a working business infrastructure for the Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop. Engineering students and faculty to design the mobile vegetable harvesting truck. The truck will run on bio-diesel, use solar power for electrical needs and to cool produce, and

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

include cleaning and packaging stations and a mobile office outfitted with GPS and a computer for scheduling appointments with farmers and deliveries to food distributors. Computer Science and Anderson School of Management Information Systems students and faculty to develop operational and computer systems that will track participating growers and setup schedules that will result in just-in-time harvesting and movement of produce to market. Anderson School of Management students and faculty to develop a marketing plan for the MVHAP called Buy New Mexico First. Local wholesalers, grocers, schools, and restaurants to develop consistent markets for the produce harvested and packaged by the MVHAP.

After the Coop is functioning and the truck and coordination system are designed, we will obtain further financing to construct the truck and implement the systems necessary to allow the MVHAP to serve farmers in the Albuquerque area. After successfully implementing the MVHAP in the Albuquerque area, we will build additional trucks and implement them in communities along the New Mexico Rail Runner system to deliver food to local markets within a 300-mile radius of Albuquerque. ***** Because of the complexity of this project, we have broken it into three phases. The table on the next page indicates the activities that will take place during the three phases. We are requesting funding of $57,820 from the McCune Charitable Foundation to implement Phase One. To manage Phase One, we will hire two Project Coordinators: one to develop and teach the Growers Market course and manage the Lobo Growers Market and one to manage the Mobile Vegetable Harvesting Program. The Growers Market Coordinator will manage the activities listed in Rows 1 and 2 and the Mobile Vegetable Harvesting Assistance Program Coordinator will manage the activities listed in rows 3, 4, and 5.

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

PHASE 1
# Fall/Winter 2008 1 Work with Sustainability Studies faculty to develop curriculum for Growers Market Course. Expand the outreach and impact of the Lobo Growers Market (LGM). Spring/Summer 2009 Teach Growers Market course to 20 students in Spring semester. Students from Growers Market course organize and run the LGM once a month in April-July and twice a month in August. Launch Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop.

PHASE 2
Fall/Winter 2009 Students disseminate information about Cultivate New Mexico at conferences. Students from Growers Market course organize and run the LGM twice a month in September and October. Educate farmers to input harvesting information into web-based system. Hire two MVHT operators who will coordinate schedules, take truck to farmers, and deliver produce to market. Students modify a used 14foot truck to use waste vegetable oil, mount solar panels to power the truck utilities, construct interior spaces where workers will clean and package produce, and install GPS and computer systems to manage daily schedules. Do advertising campaign to build name recognition for participating growers produce. Spring/Summer 2010 Teach Growers Market course to 20 students.

PHASE 3
Fall/Winter 2010 Students disseminate information about Cultivate New Mexico at conferences. Students from Growers Market course organize and run the LGM twice a month in September and October. Conduct full operation of MVHAP. Spring/Summer 2011 Teach Growers Market course to 20 students.

Students from Growers Market course organize and run the LGM once a month in April-July and twice a month in August. Begin operating the truck during off-season to analyze and as necessary modify scheduling and harvesting procedures for optimum efficiency.

Students from Growers Market course organize and run the LGM once a month in AprilJuly and twice a month in August. Expand MVHAP by building additional mobile vegetable harvesting trucks that will operate in conjunction with the NM Rail Runner to deliver food to local markets within a 300-mile radius of Albuquerque.

Develop relationships with local farmers and community organizations to develop a cooperative to manage the MVHAP and allow farmers to share resources, reduce costs, and increase business capacity. Develop partnerships with students and faculty at the School of Engineering to design the mobile vegetable harvesting truck and the Department of Computer Science and Anderson School of Management Information Systems to design computer systems. Develop partnership with students and faculty at the Anderson School of Business Marketing students to do market research and develop a marketing plan.

Students engineer the mobile vegetable harvesting truck and develop management and computer systems. Setup business structure for Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop.

Students disseminate information about Cultivate New Mexico at conferences.

Create the Buy New Mexico First label for food offered through the LGM and MVHAP. Develop relationships with food distributors to provide consistent markets.

Provide produce to local wholesalers, grocers, and cafeterias.

Provide produce to local wholesalers, grocers, and cafeterias.

Provide produce to local wholesalers, grocers, and cafeterias.

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

Project Management
Director: Dr. Bruce T. Milne, founder and director of the Sustainability Studies Program at the University of New Mexico, will oversee Cultivate New Mexico. A professor of biology at the University of New Mexico since 1986, Dr. Milne specializes in landscape ecology and applications of fractal geometry and scaling in complex systems. He attended the State University of New York at Albany, eventually earning his Ph.D. at Rutgers and serving as a lecturer in ecology at Harvard Graduate School of Design. Lending his expertise to the community as well, Dr. Milne has served on Governor Richardsons Climate Change Advisory Group and in 2007 formed the Alliance for the Carbon-neutral Foodshed. This group increases access to local organic food that is grown, processed, and stored with clean energy, thereby keeping agricultural land in production for the benefit of local economies and landscapes. Dr. Milne has received science awards, served on environmental panels, and published ecological articles, all of which attest to his knowledge and ability to lead Cultivate New Mexico. Growers Market Coordinator and MVHAP Coordinator: Both positions to be filled through an open search. The candidates that assume these positions will have the following qualifications: a Bachelors Degree, knowledge of sustainability principles through university-level course work or experience, and work-related experience in management and marketing.

Budget
In order to implement Phase One of Cultivate New Mexico, we request $57,820 from the McCune Charitable Foundation. The budget table below details expenses related to planning and development within a 12-month period. Existing SSP staff will provide oversight and administrative support to Cultivate New Mexico and UNM students will design the systems for this project. We estimate the combined value of this work to be approximately $47,000, making the total project cost approximately $105,000. Category
Personnel Growers Market Project Coordinator MVHAP Project Coordinator Student Employees (2) Subtotal Payroll & Fringe Benefits Project Coordinators Student Employees Subtotal Advertising Advertisements Subtotal

Description
$17/hr x 26 hrs x 45 weeks $17/hr x 20 hrs x 50 weeks $9.50/hr x 10 hrs x 30 weeks x 2 students

Funds Requested
$19,890 $17,000 $5,700 $42,590 $12,173 $57 $12,230 $3,000 $3,000

33% x $36,890 1% x $5,700

Ads in publications to inform growers about Cultivate New Mexico.

TOTAL COSTS

$57,820

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

Expected Outcomes
Cultivate New Mexico will be the catalyst that harnesses the power of UNM faculty and students to design and build the infrastructure necessary to address the problems of the runaway food system here in New Mexico. At the completion of Phase One all systems will be in place so Cultivate New Mexico can be handed over to a newly formed farm-based cooperative. At the completion of Phase One, we will have successfully accomplished the following outcomes: Developed the curriculum for the Sustainability Growers Market course. The curriculum will provide access to a variety of experts in the field and provide service-learning opportunities to students. Offered the Sustainability Growers Market course to 20 UNM students. The course will provide these students with the knowledge and experience necessary to become future food activists. Held the Lobo Growers Market from April 2008 to October 2009. The Market will provide students, staff, faculty, and community members with easy access to local foods as well as education on sustainability and how they can help promote change in their lives and neighborhoods. Developed the business model for the Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop. The model will meet the needs of farmer members and provide distribution of profits that will benefit the members (shareholders), future projects, and the community. Organized and launched the Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop. The Coop will provide local farmers with the ability to reduce costs and increase sales. It will also become a leader in promoting local-grown food to empower sustainability in New Mexico. Designed the truck, systems, and marketing for Mobile Vegetable Harvesting Program. All systems needed to move to Phase Twos construction and implementation stage will be completed. Developed partnerships with food distributors. Partnerships with a variety of food distributors will ensure a reliable and consistent market for members of the Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop.

At the end of the project year, the project coordinators will compile a report to chronicle and evaluate the success of Phase One of Cultivate New Mexico. The project coordinators will also work with Sustainability Studies Director Bruce Milne and the Middle Rio Grande Harvest Coop to identify and secure funding for Phase Two. ***** Cultivate New Mexico is a step forward for sustainable agriculture and the improvement of the quality of life for both local farmers and consumers in Central New Mexico. Through funding provided by McCune Charitable Foundation, we will be able to build the infrastructure and systems necessary to help local farmers cultivate economic prosperity, provide New Mexicans with healthy local grown food, and help cut the ties to the runaway food system that threaten environmental and economic sustainability in New Mexico.

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

Appendix: Details on Mobile Vegetable Harvesting Program

Mobile Vegetable Harvesting Truck Specifications
Built-in Features GPS Veggie Oil Conversion Lift gate Access to rear from cab Roof mounted solar thermal/PV power Water heater Interior lighting Computer/printer Seed sorting module Information Management: Distribution coordination system (DCS) Interior Modules Cleaning station Packing Station with Pallet scale Kg scale Gram scale Mobile Office Storage Capacity Veggie oil (with filter for direct use) Clean water Gray water Compostable matter Packing materials Office supplies

Transportation Cycle
FARMER PickupProduce PROCESSINGSITE Deliverforprocessing Pickupfuel/compostablematerials

PROCESSINGSITE Dropofffuel/compostable materials

ENDUSER(Retailordistributor) Delivertoenduser Pickupfuel/compostablematerials

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

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Middle Rio Grande Farmers Coop Launch new entity as owner/operator

Growers
Mobile Vegetable Harvesting Truck Distribution Coordination System Organization & Administration

Markets Schools Restaurants Retail

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Organize, design, engineer, outreach

Middle Region Council of Governments Promote, educate, and expand to Rail Runner

UNM Sustainability Studies Program: Cultivate New Mexico

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