Dreams

Dream: The State expands its understanding of green jobs to include all occupations, workers, and services related to the whole value-chain of the food system.

Dream: In each crop’s Value Chain, as many inputs and as many steps as possible become localized with healthy and eco-friendly foods.

Dream: Farmers and ranchers become recognized as ecosystem managers and compensated for the efforts for watershed rehabilitation and food web restoration.

Dream: The State incorporates green jobs into the agrifood sector as part of its programs on rural economic development, technology-based industries, community development and capacity building, sustainable green energy development, partnerships (public and private), tribal economic development, business recruitment and international trade.

Dream: The State and its educational institutions becomes the leader in developing an Ecoservice Management Portfolio certification and curricula; and an Ecoservices Field Degree and curricula. The ag departments take the lead in finding financial rewards for ecoservice management for the State’s farmers and ranchers and in attracting out-of-state students.

Dream: The State creates a position to coordinate agritourism. The State creates a position to handle invasive animals and plants that reduce production.

Dream: The State creates a position to work with the private sector to preserve the highest quality farm and ranch lands and develop State and Federal tax credits for conservation easements, carbon sequestration, and other tools of sustainable food systems.

Dream: State re-creates rules that allow local slaughter houses and packing, and works with reservations to establish rules for locally distributed natural beef as a way to increase green job sector.

Dream: State procurement of food for State institutions such as schools give special compensation to green (“sustainable”) food systems that employ specially trained workers.

Dream: The State form a section of NMDA to work on cultivars and breeds to adapt to climate change, can substitute for imports, and create new profitable crops.

Dream: The universities and colleges receive incentives for new positions on the faculty to address State climate change issues in the green food system (use of computer programs for local transport and storage logistics, greenhouse gas pollution and prevention, sampling technicians, climatologists, soil and range conservationists, environmental engineers, environmental/plant and animal biologists). Special degrees in green food system studies are offered to attract students for in- and out-of-State.

Dream: Packagers and processors offered tax credits and other incentives to use less energy and packaging, procure materials locally and create new jobs.

Dream: State works with unions to create green jobs training programs in agriculture and food systems.

Dream: The State and technical/community colleges train students for hoop house and greenhouse construction.