The May 2015 issue of the Local Food Connections eNewsletter features details on the May 13th Agriculture Collaborative meeting - Start-up Foodie! Stories, Opportunities, and Resources. Learn more about the Street Food Institute, the relaunch of the LandLink website, and view a list of farmers' markets near you!

• Read the May 2015 Local Food Connections eNewsletter >>
• Learn more about Local Food NM >>

The Street Food Institute (SFI) is an entrepreneur-focused culinary program dedicated to inspiring the success of small, local businesses in New Mexico. SFI supports the development of small business by growing the state’s local food economy and developing strong future business leaders. SFI trains its emerging business leaders to employ sustainable business practices that support local farmers, entrepreneurs, and families.

SFI believes that food has an amazing capacity to connect people. SFI is part of an evolving food culture that seeks to provide increased choices of nourishing and affordable food that are not only tasty, but also build community.

SFI’s purpose is:

1. To become a sustainable and effective catalyst for local economic revitalization in underserved areas; To increase access to nourishing and affordable local food by training entrepreneurs to provide it in smaller community-based venues such as trucks, carts and public gathering places;
2. To reduce some of the barriers to starting a food-related business for aspiring food entrepreneurs; and
3. To support the development of public food hubs that serve community members of all income levels.

SFI works with young adults and emerging culinary students and practitioners to develop the business and technical skills to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. SFI students begin with hands-on training at SFI Food Trucks, where they learn how to make delicious and healthy food using sustainable business practices. Students are then encouraged to employ their skills in the community to innovate their own small businesses that provide more choices for nourishing, affordable local food. By raising the bar for street food, developing local culinarians, and building a robust and active community around local food, SFI seeks to make New Mexico a culinary destination. 

Learn more at www.streetfoodinstitute.org! 

View this and other ag news in the May 2015 edition of Local Food Connections >

We are proud to announce the new Central New Mexico LandLink website! More user friendly, collaborative and statewide!

You can visit the new site at www.landlinknm.org. 

New Mexico LandLink is for people seeking agricultural and local food resources, such as: land for agricultural use, agricultural work or learning opportunities, or agricultural apprentices, interns, or employees.

Why Do We Need LandLink?

Without a doubt there is a growing market for local food in our state; however, New Mexico faces many challenges in meeting this demand – including an aging farmer and rancher population, loss of agricultural land, and soaring land values. Now is the time to create a plan for the future of agriculture in our region. Approximately thirty established land linking programs across the country have similar goals but offer services to meet localized needs. A number of regional partners have provided input on creation of this site and about the best ways to facilitate land linking for New Mexico. LandLink New Mexico seeks to link agricultural landowners and existing farm and ranch operators with the next generation of farm and ranch land stewards.

How Can This Program Help Me?  How Can I Help?

It is our goal to get the next generation of farmers and ranchers onto the land with the support they need to succeed! Support us by getting the word out about LandLink NM. Any feedback, or resources you feel we should know about? Please send them along. Help us make this a valuable resource and tool for our growing agricultural communities.

www.landlinknm.org

View this and other ag news in the May 2015 edition of Local Food Connections >

The Spring Markets have been open for several weeks now, and with so much rain the past couple of days the tents are sure to be filled with amazing produce and products.

The markets are a truly unique and wonderful tool to build both local food economies, and authentic communities. One of the struggles within the local food system is translating the many inherent and intangible benefits into a monetary mold ($$$). So many of the benefits of local food come in the form of things that money can’t buy. They manifest in the presence of community interaction and solidarity, in building person to person trust , in healthier diets, healthier mentalities, and in a population that has a grounded sense of where goods come from, and how the world works. Our farmers' markets are coming into full swing, so lets go support them!

Find a farmers' market near you >

View this and other ag news in the May 2015 edition of Local Food Connections >

Gathering Data for Your Community

Putting together a project can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be! This page is devoted to providing communities within the MRRTPO boundaries resources to apply for funding and to better understand the application process. Under the “Data” links you will find information that can help you identify the need for a project or help support a project application.

This includes:

• Five years of crash data from NMDOT, including attributes such as crash severity, alcohol involvement, time of day, pedestrian involvement, and more;
• Elementary and secondary school locations; and
• Six years of traffic count data.

If you have questions about our data, the application process or you’re not quite sure where to begin, please contact Valerie Hermanson, Regional Planner, at vhermanson@mrcog-nm.gov or 505-724-3611.

MRRTPO Area and Communities

View the interactive map >

Project Development Process

Learn more > view Project Development Process flow chart details

Funding Application Forms

Complete both forms listed below and send to Valerie Hermanson at vhermanson@mrcog-nm.gov. 

1. Project Feasibility Form (PFF)
2. Project Identification Form (PIF)

Funding Sources

New Mexico Highway Safety Improvement Program (NM HSIP)

As part of the mission of the New Mexico Highway Safety Improvement Program (NM HSIP), to reduce traffic crashes causing fatalities and serious injuries in New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has announced a funding opportunity for safety improvement projects or non-construction transportation safety programs for Federal Fiscal Years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

The call for safety projects has closed. The NM HSIP has moved under NMDOT’s Office of Planning. The next call for HSIP projects will be in the late Spring or Summer, but as more information is received, it will be posted here. 

Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) Funding

Transportation Alternatives Program projects are Federally-funded, community-based projects that expand travel choices and improve the transportation experience for all users by integrating modes and improving the cultural, historic, and environmental aspects of our transportation infrastructure. 

The call for Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funding has closed. Information about TAP funding will be posted here as it is received.

NMDOT TAP Guide

Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Funding

The RTP provides federal funding to eligible entities within New Mexico to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail‐related facilities for both non‐motorized and motorized uses. These Federal transportation funds benefit recreationists who enjoy hiking, bicycling, in-line skating, equestrianism, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling, allterrain vehicle riding, and off-road four-wheel driving. The RTP is a federal reimbursement program, meaning eligible entities must pay all costs up front and request reimbursement from the NMDOT. A 14.56% local match is required and the federal, reimbursable portion of project or program costs is 85.44%. Sponsoring agencies must be able to meet all deadlines.

The call for Recreational Trail Program (RTP) funding has closed. Information about RTP funding will be posted here as it is received.

NMDOT Recreational Trails Guide

Crash Density

Crash Data

View five years of crash data from 2008-2012. The maps below show crash density in Torrance, Sandoval and southern Santa Fe Counties. Identifying locations where crashes are concentrated can help justify the need for a safety project in that area.

{loadposition mpocrash}

Crash Location Interactive Map

The interactive map below highlights individual crash locations (in red) along with school locations (shown in blue). Zoom in and click on a crash data point to see:

• what time of day the crash occurred,
• whether there was a pedestrian or bicyclist involved,
• whether there was a fatality, and much more.  

This data set can help you identify a the need for a project. For example, if the majority of crashes happened at night, the addition of street lighting may make the area safer. You can also use these data to identify potential funding sources. If there are an abundance of crashes near a school, a project that would improve pedestrian safety in the area could list TAP as a potential funding source. If the data does not display immediately, please be patient while it loads.

View the map fullscreen here.

Traffic Counts

The map below highlights six years of traffic count data in the MRMPO region from 2008-2013. Zoom in and click on a segment of road to see the Average Weekday Daily Traffic (AWDT). Traffic counts are useful to include in HSIP and TAP applications.

View the map fullscreen here.

Contact: Valerie Hermanson (vhermanson@mrcog-nm.gov) or 505-724-3611

Final action was taken on April 17th and the Metropolitan Transportation Board (MTB) approved both the Futures 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the 2016-2021 Transportation Improvement Program for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Planning Area. The Futures 2040 plan now awaits a “conformity determination” from the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board to certify that the costs of the projects contained within the plan do not exceed future revenues and that the region will meet necessary air quality standards.

Futures 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan

 View the final version of the Futures 2040 Plan >>

Futures 2040 is the long-range transportation plan for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Planning Area. It identifies challenges, strategies, and transportation projects to improve mobility, quality of life and economic development throughout the region through the year 2040. The plan covers the entire Metropolitan Planning Area, which includes all of Valencia County, Bernalillo County, and southern Sandoval County.

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the short-range list of major transportation projects to be funded with federal, state and local funding through the year 2021. 

View all news >>

About the Mid-Region Council of Governments

The Mid-Region Council of Governments is a planning agency that serves the four in Central New Mexico:
Bernalillo, Valencia, Torrance, and Sandoval. MRCOG provides planning services to its member governments in the areas of transportation, agriculture, workforce development, employment growth, land-use, water,
and economic development.

All the right ingredients for starting a food business can be found at the Mixing Bowl Kitchen. Located within the South Valley Economic Development Center (SVEDC) at 318 Isleta Blvd. SW Albuquerque. The 3200 sq ft commercial kitchen has been the birthplace of numerous food businesses since 2005.

The Mixing Bowl helps budding food entrepreneurs as well as other community kitchens across the state of New Mexico. Information on how to navigate the regulatory process, educational resources for business planning, and peer to peer network support are all a part of what they do.Ernie Rivera, Kitchen Manager, has a vision for the future of New Mexico's community kitchens. Cooperation is the name of the game, and he is bringing local food experts around the table to form an advisory board for his organization. The goal of the board is to effectively understand what is in high demand within the local food market, and then connect that demand with a local producer (value-added or not). "Its probably not going to be your Grandma's salsa recipe", Ernie says as he explains what kinds of food could really take off in the state, "but a local granola isn't really being done, and that would fly off the shelves." The Mixing Bowl sees the undeniable trend and shift towards local food. "As we look for ways to be more self-sustainable, the food system is a huge part of economic growth, it is the foundation!" Ernie has worked in the food business in New Mexico his entire life, he sees first hand that the spirit to become an entrepreneur is strong here. He also sees many food businesses start up, then close within the year. The Mixing Bowl wants to give start-ups the resources, knowledge, and networks that it takes to get them to the next stage.

Down the road, the role of the Mixing Bowl will be:

• A hub of connections, innovative ideas, and of inspiration. They already have the ball rolling on this with their bi-weekly video conference calls and consistent food fiestas and workshops.
• They want to be a cheerleader and guide for innovators to come out and test their ideas in the market.
• Finally, they are one of the organizations striving to create new paradigms for success, they are actively creating the infrastructure and networks for tomorrow's local food systems.

If you like the stuff going on around the Mixing Bowl, here's a taste of their upcoming events!

The April 17th Statewide Kitchen Workshop Attendees will include active Community Kitchens from Espanola, Taos, Gallup and Silver City will be attending. Other community kitchens that are in the pre-startup phase include; Las Vegas, El Morro, Anton Chico, Ribera, Raton, Edgewood and Lordsburg. The day long conference will provide opportunities for community kitchens to learn how to provide all the right ingredients and inspire the startup of rural food business across the state using the Mixing Bowl model. Additionally NMSU Arrowhead Center has put together a great agenda for the afternoon of session. Pre Start up kitchens will be learning about the business planning side of starting and operating a community kitchen.

Bi-Weekly Video Conference Calls between kitchen statewide are happening. The calls are designed to share successes and challenges between community kitchens statewide.

Chile Fiesta 2015 The Mixing Bowl supports a  thriving food business community, providing growth opportunities and a path to success for entrepreneurs in 2014 the Mixing Bowl in partnership with the SVEDC, South Valley Mainstreet with the support of Bernallilo county held the first ever Chile Fiesta. This years event will be held on August 29 at Gateway Park on Bridge and Isleta. The Chile Fiesta promises to become international in size in the future. Community support was very strong the first year.

View this and other ag news in the April 2015 edition of Local Food Connections >>