I took the photo at the very top outside Datil, NM…I love rural New Mexico, especially Catron County! Salt of the earth folks! Too many up at the Roundhouse think the world evolves around Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Rural New Mexico is the heart beat of our state!
This is one of the best bills to come out of the House in a long time! PTL!!! I now pray that HB 121, the meat packaging bill, will pass! I commend the legislators below for their action to to boost the economy on New Mexico farms and ranches!
FGGAM just received this news release from the NM GOP HOUSE:
Bipartisan farm-to-table bill passes unanimously
Santa Fe, NM- House Bill 33, a measure that would create in-state meat inspection in New Mexico unanimously passed the House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representatives Rebecca Dow (R-TorC), Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena), Moe Maestas (D-Albuquerque), and Andres Romero (D-Albuquerque) is an effort to establish in-state meat inspections in New Mexico. Currently, New Mexico meat producers send 99% of their products out of state to be processed. HB 33 is part of a farm to table package of bills, including HB 121 sponsored by Rep. Jack Chatfield (R-Mosquero), that would localize meat inspections and consumption.
“Our farms and ranches across New Mexico produce great products. HB 33 is a step towards growing our local economy and delivering New Mexico homegrown meats to New Mexico consumers,” said Rep. Rebecca Dow (TorC). “New Mexicans want to buy local food, including meat. In state meat inspections will allow ranchers to sell properly inspected meat, locally. Our farms and ranches will now have a larger localized economy.”
Rep’s Dow and Chatfield recently published a video on this effort for farm-to-table that can be viewed here.
The COVID crisis revealed the lack of in-state meat inspectors and packaging operation in New Mexico. With the food shortages that followed the economic shutdowns across the country, New Mexico grocery stores and local families were left with complicated and expensive options to access meat and protein.
HB 33 passed the House unanimously. HB 121, the meat packaging bill, is awaiting action.