Posts
10-17-10
http://www.dreamingnewmexico.org/
notes from a presentation by Peter Warshall on Dreaming New Mexico, a program to integrate the entire state for sustainability.
1. they have mapped agro-eco regions statewide
2. they have mapped food seasonal cycles in each agro-eco region, breaking down the foods into those which are:
grown
hunted
raised
to do this they consulted with the 22 native nations in the state
3. they convinced the governor to declare a traditional food/harvest day
4. they mapped the state's geo-thermal resources and presented the possibilities opened up by those resources to communities near them
5. they mapped 'food-sheds'
6. they identified missing pieces of infrastructure which could/would lead to more locally available foods
~ he said that at present New Mexico imports 95% of its food. he acknowledges the need for trade (chocolate, coffee, etc) but wants to keep food sources as close to home as possible. the goal is 15% of the state's food being local by 2020.
7. they're bringing in the land trusts. rather than just putting land which is to remain wild into a trust, they're using a new model. Old people are giving up on farming and their children are for the most part not interested. The land trust is taking ownership of the land and then matching eager young farmers with the retiring old ones, who teach the young, and eventually work a sale to the young new farmers.
8. they're addressing transportation from farm to table, what he calls the value chain.
9. they are working toward declaring New Mexico a 'fair trade' state, and are developing standards for what that means. currently this is still part of the dream.
10. they're working toward 'full service' groceries
~ he is working toward making farmers ecosystem managers providing ecosystem services
11. he's working on convincing colleges to grant academic credit and completion certificates for people who learn some of the skills described above
12. he's working on having business schools estimate the value of the ecosystem services so that farmers can be appropriately compensated.
13. he talked about climate change and food security zones.
14. and finally, as he was being dragged off stage, he talked about governance and how government could help make all this happen. NM Food and Farming is now being considered for 'green job' designation, which would make their products eligible for state purchase, which would increase demand enormously.
See also: http://www.greenforall.org/splash
