Calendar of Events

The University Research Council/Vice President Research Road Show being held in the Gerald Thomas Hall Auditorium room 194 on March 12th at 3:00 p.m.

The URC Road Show you will feature University Research Council (URC) representatives, John Mexal, Shanna Ivey, URC Past Chair Sam Fernald and Vice President for Research Vimal Chaitanya.

Please join us this March 12th and have an opportunity to ask questions. Voice concerns and learn more about the URC and the Vice President for Research Office.

Abiquiu will be the site of free farmer's market workshop a 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 13, at Rio Arriba Rural Event Center, 122A state Road 554, Abiquiu.

Growers attending the workshop will learn from NMSU Extension specialists Stephanie Walker and Ron Walser about specialty crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, culinary herbs, berries, specialty melons and potatoes. Roberta Rios, former Rio Arriba County Extension home economist, and Jan Matteson, Northern New Mexico College commercial kitchen director, will show attendees how to create value-added products, such as jams and jellies, as well as discuss regulations for producing products in home kitchens and commercial kitchens.

The business side of direct marketing – producing for profit by selecting specialty crops and products, evaluating costs and returns, developing a business plan, and merchandizing and marketing – will be presented by Patrick.

The program will also feature presentations on the following topics:

Acequia research update, presented by Steven Gulden, Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde superintendent;

Grass-fed meat, presented by Sage Faulkner of Los Ojos ranchers; and

Cheese making, presented by Margaret Campos of Comida de Campos.

While the workshop is free, registration before March 10 would be appreciated. To register, call the Rio Arriba County Extension office at (505) 685-4523. Lunch will be a pot luck affair, so please coordinate contributions with Sabra Moore at (505) 685-4842. More info...

“Nutrition and Pasture Management for Horse Owners,” will be March 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Building at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Roswell.

Participants will learn how to manage land without hurting the vegetation and in addition, how to correctly feed their horses in the least expensive way.

Speakers at the workshop include Jason Turner, an Extension horse specialist; Mark Marsalis, an Extension agronomist at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Clovis; and Leonard Lauriault, a forage agronomist at NMSU’s Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari.

The speakers will talk about how to properly feed forage to horses, feeding quality hay and hay sampling, good pasture management for producers who have small-acreage land and how to develop a least-cost feeding program. They will also cover purchasing of quality hay, managing native or irrigated pasture and effectively controlling weeds.

The workshop is open to the public and snacks will be provided. Preregistration is not necessary. More info...

Experts from New Mexico State University will talk about how to combat fungus that can grow on nut crops and how to protect crops from the cold at the annual Pistachio Growers Workshop March 18 at the Cooperative Extension Service office in Alamogordo.

The workshop is March 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Otero County Cooperative Extension Service office. Participants must preregister for the workshop by March 7, as space is limited. The fee to attend is $20 and includes lunch. A check or money order and the registration form can be mailed to the Otero County Cooperative Extension Service office, 401 Fairgrounds Road, Alamogordo, N.M., 88310.

For more information about the workshop and to obtain a copy of the registration form or if you are an individual with a disability who is in need of an auxiliary aid or service, contact Beth Gordon before the workshop at (575) 437-0231 or egordon@nmsu.edu. More info...

A free workshop on the specialty fruit jujube, or Chinese date, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, March 19, at New Mexico State University’s Sustainable Agriculture Science Center in Alcalde.

Jujube, which has been cultivated in China for more than 4,000 years, is an alternative crop that is becoming popular with farmers’ market customers. The late-blooming tree is drought tolerant and adapted to high pH soil, which together make it ideal for the northern New Mexico climate.

A workshop to help growers learn more about direct marketing and farmers markets will be held near Farmington March 20 at McGee Park Multi-use Building, 41 Bloomfield Highway, Bloomfield.

Growers attending the workshop will learn from NMSU Extension specialists Stephanie Walker and Ron Walser about specialty crops such as spinach, lettuce, carrots, garlic, berries and melons.

Nancy Flores, Extension food technology specialist, will discuss value-added products, such as jams and jellies, and techniques for processing and preserving vegetables and fruits. She will also present information on the new state regulations regarding producing value-added products in home and commercial kitchens.

The business side of direct marketing – producing for profit by selecting specialty crops and products, evaluating costs and returns, developing a business plan, and merchandizing and marketing – will be presented by Patrick; Carlos Mayen Solorzano, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agricultural business; and Pauline Pao, Aztec Farmers’ Market manager.

The program will also feature presentations on the following topics:

• Weed control, presented by Beth LaSchell, Fort Lewis College in Colorado.
• Insect pest control, presented by Tessa Grasswitz, NMSU integrated pest management specialist at Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center.

While the workshop is free, registration before March 17 would be appreciated. To register call the San Juan County Extension Office at (505) 334-9496. More info...

Public officials and employees will be offered 12 three-hour class sessions and a choice of 33 classes at NMSU's Albuquerque Center. Classes earn NMSU Continuing Education Units and count toward certifications in the Certified Public Manager program and specialized certifications for groups affiliated with the New Mexico Association of Counties. More info...

The biennial ASC-Farmington Field Day will be held Friday, July 23, 2010 at 9 a.m.

Some of the field visits will include:

Weed Control for NW New Mexico

Drip-irrigated vegetable garden

Multi-purpose grape production

Medicinal plants

Field crop variety trials

Oilseed crop production

Hybrid poplar for wood products and biofuels

Biofuel powered diesel engine demonstration

Plus lots more!!!

Mark it on your calendars and come see us in July!!! More info...