Dream: New Mexico government authorizes a working group including civil society to re-organize the administrative framework to better co-ordinate agrifood policy, legislation and expenditures.
Dream: Each city and county writes its own food and farm policy including bonds, zoning and taxing incentives for “farm and ranch space” parallel to “open or green space.” Each town and city writes graywater ordinances to allow for fruit and specific vegetable gardens.
Dream: All task forces, advisory groups or equivalent include personnel who write legislation from recommendations. A major deliverable becomes draft legislation or Executive Orders.
Dream: Acequias receive status as “traditional cultural properties” on the National Register of Historic Places to provide another layer of protection. Land grant Pueblos are given help in understanding their rights. Mercedes claims are adjudicated.
Dream: A cabinet-level Secretary of Water and Watersheds, held by a person with trans- disciplinary training and experience in ecology, biology, anthropology, law and hydrology.
Dream: “Adjudication” becomes a locally agreed upon decision of watershed users. Authority to re-organize priority calls and sequence water diversions devolve to a watershed water master in any watershed community that wishes to re- vise existing timing and volume rules for the sake of efficiency, conservation and other watershed protection goals.
Dream: Land grant colleges and universities, State agencies, business associations, philanthropists and non-profits fund New Mexico-centric (local foodshed) strategic research on how to organize partnerships between the public and private sectors on critical agrifood issues such as: transitioning to organic edible crops and grassfed beef; place of origin labeling; and pollination plantings.
Dream: Reform the Farm Bill on the federal level to level the playing field. Instead of income and most price supports, federal dollars match local investments in building an infrastructure for local food business clusters. Counter-cyclical payments should be for resident operators only.
Dream: No direct or indirect subsidies for “non-nutritious foods” as defined by federal or State departments of health (not USDA).
Dream: The State’s Congressional representatives lobby and vote to increase overall spending for the Conservation Reserve Program and similar programs.
Dream: The State land grant colleges and universities teach and provide degrees in agriculture that will benefit local foodsheds, local value chains and a fair trade state. Ecoservices and ecoservice portfolio management.
Dream: Land grant colleges in a joint program with Jornada Experimental Station, NCRS, NMDA and other government agencies pursue the kinds of dreams described by this project: agro-ecoregional cultivars; biocultural cultivars for specialty markets; food business clusters on the town or county level for local food and food products; invasive species management; pest and pathogen management; greenhouse development; profitable crop substitutes for imports; adaptive cultivars for climate change; urban garden planning and development; food education at elementary and high schools; nutrition-related disease prevention; and many more.