Watch SOIL STORIES recordings on the NM Healthy Soil YouTube Channel:
Online conversations on soil health
Farmer-advocate Eugene Pickett starts with a short presentation, followed by conversation with participants.
As the Soil Talks to Us. By engaging in the work of the soil we are guided and healed in becoming productive. Through my history in farming and ranching from childhood until now, I have arrived at the conclusion that our direct relationship to Mother Earth, the soil, gives us life. If the relationship is nourished, we will be fed in mind, body and spirit. A discussion of this sort has a broad ranging and direct impact from rural to urban farming & ranching.
Eugene Shelby Pickett Jr
Born December 27,1950 in East Los Angeles California, at Queen of Angeles Hospital. Attended UCLA, UC Irvine and Earlham College in Richmond Indiana. Studied Martial Arts at the Chinese Martial Arts Association/Karate Kung Fu Association in South Pasadena, California. Father of five adult children: Neema, Eshe, Akilah, Eugene III aka Trey and Rasheed.
Eugene Pickett grew up in East LA where the community practiced urban farming. The African Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Jewish and Latinos had gardens, fished, hunted, had livestock and bartered and traded these commodities as a way of life. Later growing up in Pasadena/Altadena Eugene enjoyed the country lifestyle of this area. The Pickett family was instrumental in developing a Community based Enterprise that had a ranch, youth development, security company, Martial Arts Studio, community farm/garden and entertainment enterprise and a commodities firm. With his move to New Mexico Eugene’s family became fully engaged in New Mexico farming and ranching as a lifestyle. Most recently this has brought Mr. Pickett into food systems development and advocacy, where he is working to gain access to available resources for historically discriminated against small farmers and ranchers from the socially disadvantaged class.
Mr. Pickett is the Owner Operator of Black Farmers and Ranchers New Mexico, Regional Coordinator for the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association, a member of the National Rural Coalition/ Coalición Rural, New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council, New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association, Albuquerque NAACP, and the New Mexico African American Chamber of Commerce.