Reparative justice:
The Agrarian Commons centers people who have been marginalized from access to land in communities that have been subject to extraction and exploitation.
→ Learn more about how the Agrarian Commons model creates equity

Climate resilience:
The Agrarian Commons actively stewards and protects biodiverse ecosystems, including healthy soil and watersheds.
→ Learn more about the principles guiding the Agrarian Commons

Land donations:
Leave a legacy for future generations by donating land to the New Mexico Agrarian Commons.
→ Learn how a land gift works

Patrick Jaramillo, President
Patrick was born and raised in New Mexico, a lifelong grower of food and steward of water. As New Mexico Program Co-Director of the American Friends Service Committee he works to protect access to land and water by the traditional peoples of New Mexico.
More about Patrick…

Shahid Mustafa, Vice President
Shahid founded Taylor Hood Farms in La Union, New Mexico, a small diverse farm dedicated to providing community members access to a variety of fresh, nutritious, locally grown vegetables. Taylor Hood Farms is also a farm incubator, offering education and training about local food systems and how to grow food using regenerative organic practices.
More about Shahid…

Rebekah Parr, Treasurer
Rebekah runs her management consultancy Heart Farm, which offers business finance, legal, and management tools. Heart Farm is also the affectionate moniker of the actual farm where she works and resides, located on 25 acres in Monticello, New Mexico, and where she hosts groups, retreats, and emerging creative space. The entire property has been decommodified by committing it in trust to Naya’s Refuge Inc. 501(c)(3).
More about Rebekah…

Isabelle Jenniches, Secretary
Isabelle co-founded the grassroots nonprofit organization NM Healthy Soil in 2018 which led to the successful passage of the state’s Healthy Soil Act in 2019. Drawing from her background in visual arts and community organizing, she attends to storytelling, communications and outreach as well as program development and coordination.
More about Isabelle…

Nathan M. Galaviz, Agrarian Commons Regional Coordinator
Nathan serves on multiple Agrarian Commons boards on behalf of Agrarian Trust to support existing and emerging land-based projects with real estate research, due diligence, transactional work, conservation easement, farm stewardship, management planning, and organizational / board administration.
More about Nathan…

Melissa Marie Lopez-Sullivan, Board Member at Large
Melissa is Executive Director of the New Mexico Doula Association (NMDA), a vital community-based organization for doulas across New Mexico. She advocates for birth and reproductive justice movements, resulting in policies and systemic changes that protect reproductive health and minimize maternal morbidity, specifically for black and indigenous communities. 
More about Melissa…

Alicia Thompson, Board Member at Large
Alicia is the West Region Organizing Manager for the National Young Farmers Coalition. She also works as an Indigenous consultant who provides guidance on working with tribal partners, and guidance for tribes in native nation building strategies.
More about Alicia…

TOTAL AMOUNT OF FARMLAND: > 40 million acres

• 40.659,834.2 acres of rangeland (96% of farmland)
• 1.8 million acres of cropland (4% of farmland). One of every three acres of cropland is irrigated.

TOTAL NUMBER OF FARMS: In 2023, New Mexico reported 20,900 farms, decreased from 25,044 farms in 2017.

AVERAGE ACREAGE PER FARM:

• Average farm size is 1,871 acres, increased from 1,624 acres in 2017.
• 13,078 (52%) farms are less than 50 acres.
• 4,565 (18%) farms are 1,000 acres or more.
• The majority of New Mexico farmers are small-scale. 98% of farmers are categorized by the USDA as small farmers and 78%, as very small farmers (USDA NASS, 2019).

AVERAGE FARM REAL ESTATE VALUE: $610 per acre
The 2022 New Mexico average farmland real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, was $610 per acre. This is an increase of 1.7 percent from 2021 and 6.1 percent from 2020. The average value of cropland was $1,790, up 7.8 percent from 2021.

FARMLAND LOSS:

Privately owned farm and ranch land has been lost to urban development, declining 20% over the past 70 years. 

USDA/NRCS CONSERVATION PROGRAMS:

• 2,888 farms used rotational management or intensive grazing, 10% less than the 3,198 farms reported in 2012.
  
• 377 farms held 500,203 acres of land under conservation easements. This was a decline in the number of farms (from 430 in 2012) but a dramatic increase in acreage (from 184,973 in 2012). These changes may reflect differences in sampling between census years.
  
• 1,338 farms used no-till farming practices on 138,401 acres.
  
• 868 farms used reduced tillage practices on 218,922 acres.
  
• 1,177 farms planted cover crops on 53,617 acres.
  

NUMBER OF FARM OPERATORS/PRODUCERS: 40,850 (2017)

PREVIOUS # OF FARM OPERATORS/PRODUCERS: 37,166 (2012)

AVERAGE AGE OF FARMER: 59.8 years — 40% of NM Farmers are over the age of 65

NUMBER OF YOUNG FARMERS IN NM: 2,848

NM FARMER DEMOGRAPHICS:

• Female farmers: 16,577 total (9,551 full owner, 2,195 part owner, 3,233 tenants)
• Male farmers: 24,273 total (13,568 full owner, 3,608 part owner, 3,794 tenants)
• White farmers: 31,768
• Farmers of color: 9,082
• American Indian or Alaskan Native farmers: 8,523
• Asian: 156
• Black or African American: 60
• Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin: 12,212
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 29
• More than one race: 314

FARM INCOME:

• 10 % of NM farmers earn less than $10,000/yr
• 43 % report a loss
• 25,507 of NM farmers have an off-farm job