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INVESTIGATOR: Gomez, R. E.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
1620 STANDLEY DR ACADEMIC RESH A RM 110
LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO 88003-1239

NEW MEXICO PUEBLO BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER PROJECT

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service (NMSU CES), 1862 Land Grant Institution (LGI), in collaboration with the Institute of American Indian Arts, Land Grant Programs (IAIA LGP), 1994 LGI, along with local Pueblo governors, mentors, and Pueblo livestock and growers associations, propose the New Mexico Pueblo Beginning Farmer and Rancher Project (NMPBFRP). Through this collaboration, our New Mexico Pueblo BFR's will have the best resources available to them to succeed and become a viable entity in American agriculture.The NMPBFRP proposes to develop a holistic outreach approach to meeting the individual production, marketing and financing needs of American Indian BFR's of the Northern and Southern Pueblos in northcentral New Mexico through this three year project. These efforts will individually assist them in developing sustainable management and production practices and marketing strategies on their farms and ranches in an effort to compete and succeed in American agriculture.The overall goal of the NMPBFRP is to provide the best possible research based and proven sustainable educational and technical assistance to the Pueblo BFR's through culturally accepted methods in an effort to empower them with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete and succeed in their agricultural business endeavors. This project will serve as a model for future BFRDP's at other American Indian farming regions that share similar characteristics.

OBJECTIVES: The overall goal of the project is to provide the best possible research based and proven sustainable educational and technical assistance to the Pueblo BFR's through culturally accepted methods in an effort to empower them with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete and succeed in their agricultural business endeavors. This project will serve as a model for future BFR development programs at other American Indian farming regions that share similar characteristics.Objective 1. Identify all BFR's in the target region and make all available efforts to recruit them into the proposed BFR program.Objective 2. Develop a Pueblo BFR educational and technical assistance curriculum with the assistance of BFR's, Pueblo farmers/ranchers (mentors) and project collaborators.Objective 3. Match cooperating Pueblo farmer/rancher mentors with participating BFR's.Objective 4. Provide one-on-one technical and educational assistance to the BFR's participating in the region that will enhance their ability to compete and succeed in the agricultural industry, thus retaining their customs and culture which are closely tied to the land and ultimately preserving their rural communities.Objective 5. Through a coordinated outreach effort, USDA program opportunities and services will be made available and accessible to the BFR's who participate in this project.