San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 1

In this issue

Hay and Forage Wksp…….…..…..1

New 4-H Livestock Agent………...2

Hemp Interest…………..……. …..…2

Ditch Call list assistance……..……..2

Drought Update……………...……….3

NWNM New Farmer Network...3

Local Food Updates…..……….…...4

Extension Save the Dates..……… 5

Soil and Water CD Updates……...6

Farmington Ag Science Center…...7

Community Programs ……………..9

Events…………………………………...10

November 2019

San Juan County Ag Notes New Mexico State University &

San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District

Greetings from the San Juan County

Extension office, the Soil and Water

Conservation District and the Farmington

Ag Science Center!

New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/ affirmative employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Don’t Forget:

SJC has a Predator

Control Program

If you have coyote

predation on your

ranch, contact the

Extension office to

be assigned a trap-

per.

505-334-9496

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 2

San Juan County Cooperative Extension Service Shelly Hathorn-Program Director and 4-H Agent Zane Webster, 4-H Livestock Agent

Rick Griffiths-Family & Consumer Science Agent Bonnie Hopkins-Agriculture Agent

sanjuanextension.nmsu.edu 505-334-9496

Welcome the new San Juan County 4-H Livestock Agent

Zane Webster

Zane Webster grew up in South Eastern Arizona. He and his family rodeoed, farmed alfalfa, and bred show hogs. He was heavily involved in agriculture and specifically 4H and FFA. He attended Connors State College and at the completion of his sophomore year was on the Junior College National All-American Livestock Judging Team. He then transferred to Texas Tech University and was honored to be a part of the 2016 National Champion Livestock Judging Team. He gradu-ated from Tech with a bachelor of science in animal science and completed his masters of science in agricultural education at the University of Arizona where he’s also worked as the

head livestock judging coach. Zane enjoys working with youth and making a positive impact in his community. Stop by the office and welcome him to the area!

Interested in growing hemp?

Get timely updates about workshops

(coming SOON!) and research from

our NMSU Alternative Crop special-

ist when they join the NMSU team.

Join our hemp newsletter list by call-

ing the Extension office or complet-

ing the online subscription here

https://sanjuanextension.nmsu.edu/agandhort.html

Ditch Call lists

San Juan County has established a “Ditch 911”

list that allows the Emergency Management

team to send out timely notification about

changes in water quality to ditch supervisors.

Getting a notification out to all of the ditch

members is slightly more complicated and will

require each ditch to create their own auto-

matic call down list.

If you would like assistance designing a program

that will simplify sending notifications to your

ditch members contact Bonnie Hopkins at the

Extension office. Bonnie is currently scheduling

times to attend ditch annual meetings to pro-

vide them with resources that will allow them

simplified forms of communication for the next

irrigation season.

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 3

Drought Update:

2020 predictions

The senior service hydrologist for NM is predicting above average tempera-tures and below average precipi-tation for the 2020 year. The 2019 Monsoon was a failure receiving little to no rain in NWNM from June –October.

2019 total precipitation recorded at NMSU's ASC Farmington official Na-tional Weather Observation site from January 1st to September 30, 2019 was 6.31 inches.

2018 total precipitation recorded at NMSU's ASC Farmington official National Weather Observation site was 4.97 inches. Record low precipitation recorded since 1969 was in 1976 at 3.57 inches. The recorded high precipitation since 1969 was recorded in 1986 at 14.65 inches. Mean precipitation from 1969 - 2018 was 7.99 inches.

North West New Mexico New Farmer Network

The San Juan County Extension Office and the Farmington Ag Science

Center were recently awarded a grant from the NMDA to create the

NWNM New Farmer Network. The NWNM New Farmer Network

would create an inventory of available farmland for lease in our county

and on the Navajo Nation. The program will also work to develop a

new farmer training program and connect them with available land leas-

es.

If you are interested in participating in the program as a land owner, or

as a new (or expanding) farmer please contact Bonnie Hopkins at the

San Juan County Extension office.

Be on the look out for the job announcement as we will be looking for a

program coordinator in early 2020.

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 4

Northwest New Mexico Local

Food Systems Update

The Farmington Local Food Taskforce has transi-

tioned to become the Buy Fresh Buy Local North-

west New Mexico Chapter. The mission of BFBL

Northwest New Mexico is “ to support, strengthen,

and advocate for the local food system”. The goals

areas for the chapter are health, economic vitality,

and accessibility.

If you would like to participate in the chapter

monthly meetings are held the last Tuesday of each

month from 10am-12pm at the San Juan College

QCB.

Next meeting: November 26 10am-12pm

https://www.facebook.com/buyfreshbuylocalnwnm/

NWNM Local Food Guide

The Buy Fresh Buy Local NWNM guide will list all farm-

ers, Farmers Markets, restaurants, and other business-

es that are supporting our local food system by pro-

ducing or purchasing local NWNM grown products.

This printed guide will be a resource to inform the

community of locations throughout San Juan County

NM which support the local food system. You can see

examples of guides in other communities here:

https://www.buyfreshbuylocal.org/guides

Examples of businesses include: Farms, Value-Added

Producers, Specialty Beverage Makers, Farmers Mar-

kets, Grocers and Retailers, Restaurants and Caterers,

Aggregators/Distributors/Institutions.

The local food guide will be published in March 2020

and distributed throughout the 2020 growing season.

The deadline to be included in the 2020 guide is Friday

January 10, 2020. All submissions will be reviewed to

ensure that qualifications are met, and additional in-

formation may be requested. If you have any ques-

tions about the Local Food Guide publication (or about

how to purchase locally grown food for your business),

please email Erin Havens at

havense@sanjuancollege.edu or 505-566-3119.

Farmer-Buyer Networking Session

December 10 301 N. Court Ave, Farmington

Have you ever wanted a growing wish-list from

restaurants and schools? SJC has received over

$50,000 in state funds for local food purchases.

The San Juan County Extension Office and the San

Juan College Food Hub have organized a network-

ing session for farmers and purchasers in NWNM.

Farmers will have an opportunity to sit down with

each buyer at the event and discuss contract and

purchasing options for the 2020 growing season.

Farmers need to RSVP to Erin Havens by Decem-

ber 9. Farmers will need to bring their farm infor-

mation, business cards, a product list (with prices

if possible). Farmers are asked to arrive by 1:45 to

set up their table areas with their information. In-

stitutional purchasers will network from 2-3:30,

and chefs/restaurants will network from 4-6pm.

Contact havense@sanjuancollege.edu

or 505-566-3119 for more information

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 5

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 6

New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environ-mental Sciences is an engine for economic and com-munity development in New Mexico. ACES academ-ic programs help students discover new knowledge and become leaders in environmental stewardship, food and fiber production, water use and conserva-

tion, and improving the health of all New Mexicans. The College’s research and extension outreach arms reach every county in the state and provide research-based knowledge and programs to improve the lives

of all New Mexicans.

Save the Date: Master Gardener Training Program

August-November 2020

Call 505-334-9496 to be put on the registration list

San Juan County Cooperative Extension Service Shelly Hathorn-Program Director and 4-H Agent Zane Webster, 4-H Livestock Agent

Rick Griffiths-Family & Consumer Science Agent Bonnie Hopkins-Agriculture Agent

sanjuanextension.nmsu.edu 505-334-9496

Save the date

San Juan Basin

Invasive Weed

Symposium

April 29, 2020

Farmington NM

Annual Beef Symposium February 11, 2020 Pagosa Springs CO

The San Juan Basin Extension Beef Cattle Symposium has become a tradition in SW Colorado and NW New Mexico for 38 years. Educa-tional programs are important to help us sustain this way of life. The 2020 Beef Cattle Symposium will primarily focus on nutrition and conservation programs. Visit with industry professionals on new programs and alternatives to maintain the health of your herd while maintaining profitability.

Workshop Save the Dates

January 25 9am-12pm “Cool Bot” Work-

shop

Are you interested in installing an affordable refriger-

ation system on your farm? Join us as we install a

“coolbot” unit into “The Mobile Harvest” mobile farm-

ers market unit at San Juan College.

February 15 8:30-12pm Vinyl Banner

Making Workshop

Join us at the San Juan College “The Big Idea” mak-

ers space to design and print your own custom business

banner. Space will be limited to 20 participants, so

contact Bonnie Hopkins to reserve your space. (there

will be a registration fee that covers the cost of sup-

plies)

Red Books

Red Books for cattle producers

should be available in the Extension

office in mid-December. If you

would like a book please contact the

Extension office.

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 7

San Juan Soil & Water Conservation District Update

San Juan SWCD is hard at work beginning the design process for our new office building! Because of the time we are dedicating to this exciting new project, we are postponing our annual meeting and awards dinner that is usually held in December. We will send an update and get invitations sent out after the New Year.

The District also just made its first ever appearance on ballots in a regular election - if you were surprised to see us there, you were not alone! Thanks to the Local Elections Act, voters within our District can now vote for SWCD Board Supervisors the first Tuesday in November in odd numbered years, along with all other non-partisan local elections. This year we had current supervi-sors DeAnne McKee and Cash Carruth retain their positions, and will be welcoming newly elected Catherine Thomas-Kemp to the board in January.

Backyard Conservation Workshop Series

We just wrapped up a series of six Saturday workshops taught at the San Juan College Community Learning Center. These popu-lar classes covered topics including rainwater harvesting, responsible water and fertilizer use, weeds, managing for wildlife and pollinators, xeriscaping, composting, and tree planting and care. If you missed them this fall, don't worry, because we are doing another series this spring!

Spend a Saturday (or six of them) developing and improving conservation practices to bring beauty and diversity to your yard, regardless if your yard is measured in acres, feet, or flower pots. Learn skills that farmers and ranchers use to help them meet their production goals while protecting natural resources. Workshops have the bonus of free materi-als given to participants, under guidelines of grant funding. These workshops can be taken individually for $10 each. Each class is 9 am-noon, Saturday, SJC Room 1925. Course ID: CHOHO 283. Plan for both indoor and outdoor class time. (25 people max)

Jan 25 Advanced Tree Planting and Care (free trees)

Feb 29 Advanced Soil Health (free soil test)

March 28 Water-Smart Landscaping and Rainwater Harvesting (free rain barrel)

April 25 Managing Wildlife and Attracting Pollinators (free cover crop seed & pollinator homes)

May 30 Managing Invasive Weeds (free pollinator plants/seeds)

June 6 Seed Harvesting and Storage (free materials TBD)

Register online https://www.sanjuancollege.edu/community/community-learning-clc/register-for-clc-classes/ or call (505) 566-3214

NRCS still taking applications for 2020 EQIP program

For agricultural producers interested in applying to USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmen-tal Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), you are in luck. The application deadline was supposed to be in November, but with changes to the 2018 Farm Bill the NRCS state office has done away with this deadline and have not set a future deadline for 2020 applications. Interested producers should call NRCS at 505-334-3090 x3 to set up an appointment for assistance with your application. For those not interested in competing for cost-share funds via EQIP, conserva-tion technical assistance is always provided by NRCS free of charge, and can help you put together a conservation plan for your farm or ranch.

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 8

Updates From Farmington, Kevin Lombard, Superintendent and Associate Professor Horticulture

Hemp

The NMSU-ASC pilot hemp project was harvested in early October after receiving New Mexico Department of Agriculture approval

and Harvest Certificate. Three varieties were tested. The trial was started late due to navigating the permitting and approval pro-

cess. Transplants were obtained and planted mid-July. There were some challenges that resulted but we started out on a very

small, manageable basis and were able to apply fertility and manage weeds timely. THC levels were below 0.3% in all three varie-

ties when tested for the official NMDA test which determines whether we passed or failed. We passed based on the NMDA crite-

ria of keeping the plants below 0.3% THC. The plots would have been destroyed if THC was above 0.3%. In talking to some grow-

ers, I have heard challenges related to water, fertility, late planting, and possibly non-adaptive varieties. In a past newsletter, I

wrote an article about potential opportunities and risks associated with hemp. The same statements stand true today: “do you

know what your market is?” “what is the supply and demand?”, “do you know what your soil is like or previous cropping histo-

ry?”, “how are you going to weed, harvest, dry/cure, and process?”. If you cannot answer these questions, then there is a high risk

of failure for this crop (and other crops in general) for you. I would also add a question: “what is your skill set growing plants?”.

Having said this, the NMSU-ASC Farmington believes that it is important that we put some research and outreach effort behind

this emerging crop. Besides the 2019 trial described above, the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences

(ACES) is committing resources to hire a new faculty member that will have a focus in hemp. I would encourage anybody interest-

ed in hemp or any crop, to carefully research out this crop. If you have never had a formal course in plant sciences, horticulture, or

similar credential, I encourage you to take the Master Gardener Class from NMSU Cooperative Extension. I encourage you to take

gardening classes when offered. In doing so, you will be a more knowledgeable grower and you won’t feel like you are guessing

around for answers. Stay tuned for more hemp updates.

Why was there no fall color at the ASC Farmington? We typically have a nice fall color at the ASC Farmington. This October 31,

however, we recorded the coldest temperature for this date. The below freezing, rapid temperature drop had the effect of killing

the leaves on the trees before fall color could fully take place.

Other crop news: Dr. Djaman is combining corn plots. The corn trials were diverse and included deficit irrigation, planting

dates, and planting densities and their impact on corn quality and yield. A blue corn trial is awaiting harvest and we anticipating

that once the data is harvested, it will be milled for examination in bakeries throughout the state, as part of the Southwest Grain

Collaborative. This group is founded on the idea that small grains and specialty corn, grown locally and under sustainable practices

embracing certified organic principals, could fit into niches for baking and brewing. Some brewers in New Mexico view small

grains as a locally sourced ingredient to value-add. It is another crop worth considering in crop rotation here if the equipment and

management practices, storage and markets are researched. Other small grains that were planted this fall for evaluating in 2020

included wheat and winter malted barley. The winter wheat is managed by Dr. Djaman and is in collaboration with Colorado State

University. The winter malted barley is with the National Winter Malted Barley Trial (University of Minnesota), and is managed by

Dr. Lombard.

Alfalfa had three cuts this year. A 4th cut may have been possible were it not for the cold temperature blast mentioned above in

October.

The results of these trials are actively being written and we hope to have them to Bonnie Hopkins as fact sheets sometime in early

spring.

New Mexico State University Agriculture Experiment Station Farmington, NM

Dr. Kevin Lombard-Superintendent Dr. Koffi Djaman, Irrigation Specialist 505-960-7757 farmingtonsc.nmsu.edu

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 9

NMDA AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE DE-VELOPMENT PILOT PROGRAM

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture’s (NMDA) Agricul-tural Workforce Development Pilot Program (AWD) offers in-centives to the state’s agricultural businesses to hire in-terns. The AWD Pilot Program is intended to provide hands-on educational opportunities for students aspiring to careers in agriculture, as well as young or beginning farmers and ranchers.

AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES APPLY TO NMDA BY DEC 1

Please note: NMDA will not match agricultural businesses with potential interns.. An “agricultural business” means a business

of a food or agricultural nature, including agricultural production or processing. NMDA will reimburse qualified agricultural businesses up to 50 percent of the actual cost of hiring a qualified intern, not to exceed $5,000 per internship.

For internships that will occur in the remainder of FY 2020 (between December 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020), the period for agricultural businesses to apply is from October 31, 2019 to February 28, 2020 or until funds are fully awarded. NMDA will award funding to agricultural businesses based on a) their compliance with program requirements; and b) funding availa-bility. Funding for 19 internships is available for FY 2020.

An agricultural business may request funding to hire as many as three interns per year. Preference may be given to agricul-tural businesses that have not been awarded an internship already. Within 15 days of receiving an application, NMDA will notify the agricultural business whether it was selected for AWD Pilot Program funding or not.

http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/awd-applications/

Four Corners Slow Money

The Slow Money movement is built around local groups, which catalyze local

food investing in a variety of ways—peer-to-peer lending, public meetings, pitch

fests, and on-farm events. Local Slow Money groups are organized as informal

networks and/or investment clubs. There are currently 27 groups nationwide,

and have invested $66 million in 697 food enterprises.

Four Corners Slow Money encompasses the Four Corners region of South-

west Colorado, Southeast Utah, Northern New Mexico & Northern Arizona.

The club was founded in Durango, CO in March 2019, and operates under

the fiscal sponsorship of 2Forks Club, another Slow Money group in Colora-

do.

Get involved by becoming a member, helping us raise funds or volunteering your time.

Email info@fourcornersslowmoney.org for more information or check out the website: https://

www.fourcornersslowmoney.org/

San Juan County Ag Notes November 2019 10

Upcoming events November 26 Buy Fresh Buy Local Meeting (San Juan College)

December 4: Hay and Forage Growers Workshop, McGee Park

December 10 Farmer-Buyer Networking

December 17 Buy Fresh Buy Local Meeting (San Juan College)

January 25 Cool Bot Workshop

January 25 Advanced Tree Planting Workshop (SWCD)

February 6: Pesticide Applicator Training, McGee park

February 11: Beef Symposium Pagosa Springs CO

February 15 : Banner Making Workshop

February 29 Advanced Soil Health Workshop (SWCD)

March 14: Growers Market Vendor Training

March 28 Water Smart Landscaping (SWCD)

April 25 Managing Wildlife and Attracting Pollinators (free cover crop seed & pollinator homes)

April 29: Invasive Weed Symposium, McGee Park

San Juan County Extension Service

New Mexico State University

213A South Oliver Drive

Aztec, NM 87410

Non-Profit Standard Mail

Permit NO 162

Aztec, NM 87410