Buying local produce in the ABQ, NM area is a healthy and smart choice!
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| Corrales, NM Photo taken by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza on April 2017 |
In the movie Leap Year, Amy Adams is shocked when Matthew Good’s character kills a chicken in front of her. When asked, “Don’t tell me that you’ve never had chicken stew before?” Amy responds, “Of course I have.” Matthew Good then asks, “I’m wondering where it is that you think that chickens come from.” She replies, “The freezer section.” Do you think your chicken comes from the freezer section too? If you do, keep reading!
This post showcases 4 local Corrales, NM farms.
My first of five interviews was with A-Z Family Farm. A Corrales favorite supplier of leafy greens and eggs. I should’ve taken a picture of what I looked like when I interviewed my first farm. Because on this day, I had gone to court for documentation, after leaving court, i drove straight to Corrales to begin the interviews for this project. I was wearing a floor length baby blue cotton dress with open toed, cork bridge, high heels with my hair up in two Dutch braids. I had full glam make up. At the time the attire made sense. I thought, in case I am in the video, i will look nice.
Reality set in when a mosquito bit me on the forehead and i had blood on my note pad, from killing the mosquito with a slap to my face. My feet were covered in dirt because i had chosen to walk up the almost 3 acres of land (eating quite a few delicious samples along the way) and my experience was complete by the end of the interview when i noticed my shoulders itching in what had turned into an interesting style of farmers tan, due to the X design of the top of my dress, hugging my neck. I had officially become Amy Adams in the movie Leap Year.
A-Z Family Farm, Corrales, NM
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| A-Z Family Farm, Corrales, NM Photo by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza taken April 2017 |
(A-Z Family Farm Intro)
Contact Directly:
Rachel at Little Dirt Farms, Corrales, NM
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| Little Dirt Farms, Corrales, NM Photo by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza taken April 2017 |
Picture above is a plot of organic kale.
My second interview was with Rachel Hillier from Little Dirt Farms, in Corrales, NM. The mission statement of the CorralesCommunityFarms@gmail.com organization is "to preserve endangered Rio Grande basin agricultural land...[it] is a farmer collective relocalizing food by matching small, family farmers to customers who value fresh, high quality organic food."
Rachel has been instrumental in supporting and educating local Corrales residents on the importance of revitalizing their farms, instead of giving up on them. The organization's message has proven vital to the Village of Corrales.
Rachel’s interview includes topics such as water rights, ways to restore farms, CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture), why organic farming yields nutrient dense produce, warning of “pretty looking produce”, local produce value, salad mix will last 3x longer in fridge (I tested this claim and thumbs up to taste and how long it lasts!), and how chickens participate in the farm's ecosystem.
To buy their $30 box of veggies or to buy organic fresh farm eggs, contact Rachel.
Gary "The Chicken Guy", Corrales, NM
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| Gary www.RentTheChicken.com, Corrales, NM Photo by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza taken April 2017 |
My third interview was with “Gary, the Chicken Guy.” When I drove up, I saw these 3 handsome baby roosters scratching the weeds out of the ground looking for bugs. Gary explained that either he weeded the front lawn, or the chickens could do it for him. Nice teamwork!
All About Organic Eggs
Gary and his wife own and operate www.RentTheChicken.com in Corrales, NM. The purpose of the business is to bring people closer to their food source. Gary taught me that City of ABQ law allows up to 14 chickens and 1 rooster per home. Is that a clue as to how agricultural laws have influenced NM? While Rio Rancho law has lower chicken limits, there are also HOA considerations, which override local city ordinances. (Check with your specific city for chicken limits)
The 12 breeds of chickens that are rented and sold thru the program include German, French and other specialty breeds. Gary and his wife also sell ducks, quail, turkeys and their eggs. His animals are only given organic feed, which includes supply from a local favorite, ARCA organics, who’s also based in Corrales, NM.
When they originally moved to Corrales in 2005, there were wild chickens next door that they began to feed. All of these years later, the love for the wild chickens turned into a business. I toured their beautiful property feeling lucky to have seen such beautiful animals and lucky to have learned so much. (Full interview below)
Corrales Winery, Corrales, NM
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| Corrales Winery, Corrales, NM Photo by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza taken April 2017 |
The above picture has Keith out in his vineyard, taking care of his vines. I took the picture from inside his wine tasting room. This room has two walls displaying numerous awards.
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| Corrales Winery Awards, Corrales, NM Photo by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza taken April 2017 |
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| Corrales Winery Awards, Corrales, NM Photo by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza taken April 2017 |
Keith Johnstone was my fourth and last interview. He has been a Corrales resident for over 45 years. Listening to him speak about his vines, his trade, and his business, it was transparent to me why he boasts an over 1,000-member list. The Corrales Winery does not ship yet sells out of any wine within 12 months of its release.
All production, ageing, bottling, happens in Corrales, NM. I tasted their Sangiovese wine, since Brunello is my favorite red. The cherry taste lingered in my mouth to the point that I felt my mouth watering much longer after I had ever tasted any Brunello.
Corrales Winery - Keith
Mr. Johnstone mentioned during the interview that while some grapes are grown in Corrales, other grapes are purchased from Deming, NM. Even though many wineries buy the same grapes from Deming, NM (the weather is more forgiving there than in Corrales), every single winery gives the same grapes their own touch, producing a very different wine by each.
After touring his facility, I can attest to the dedication for making a wine that is unique and amazing. They are also the first solar winery in the State of NM!
Upcoming local events are the Bike & Wine Tour, the Santa Fe Wine Festival on the 4th of July weekend, and the State Fair. If you are a wine lover, you have to taste these wines!
After touring his facility, I can attest to the dedication for making a wine that is unique and amazing. They are also the first solar winery in the State of NM!
Upcoming local events are the Bike & Wine Tour, the Santa Fe Wine Festival on the 4th of July weekend, and the State Fair. If you are a wine lover, you have to taste these wines!
For more information, contact Corrales Winery directly via e-mail or at (505) 898-5165.
Farmer's Grower's Markets
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| Little Dirt Farms, Corrales, NM Photo by: Vivian Elizabeth Marquez de la Garza taken April 2017 |
The Corrales Growers Market and the Albuquerque Downtown Growers Market begin every weekend starting April 15, 2017.
Corrales harvest fest: info@corralesharvestfestival.com
A Special Thank you!
A special thank you to the staff at the Village Mercantile and Frontier Mart. Both helped me find local farmers and were kind enough to show me around their stores.
A special thank you to the staff at the Village Mercantile and Frontier Mart. Both helped me find local farmers and were kind enough to show me around their stores.
Also a special thank you to the farmers who were kind enough to open their doors to me and their generosity knew no bounds when they all gave me FREE eggs or other products from their farms. After eating the eggs and the lettuce, i can attest to the taste. You will not go back once anyone tastes the freshness of the produce and the eggs.
I was inspired to learn about the plethora of local NM producers. NM boasts chile producers, pozole spices producers, bee farms, wineries, and many more products are all on sale at these two stores. Buy local and support the local NM economy. The food is fresh. You are supporting the local economy and the food tastes incredible!
Interesting facts about Corrales, NM
In 2007, CNN Money’s List placed Corrales at #17 in the 100 best places to live and ex-President Jimmy Carter was a former Corrales resident. The local San Ysidro church has an annual church fiesta that blesses the village and the crops.
Corrales background and info
The Village was founded for agricultural purposes and is nestled between the city of Albuquerque and the high-growth Rio Rancho area. The residents’ battle to maintain the Village’s rural character was experienced not too long ago, during the 2005 political address, to incorporate parts of Corrales into Sandoval County, which used to be part of Bernalillo County.
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