Purposeful Actions

Hello Alamo!

I didn’t really have anything meaningful to blog about Wednesday, so I just took the day to relax instead. However, I do have some updates about the farm, the market, the grant, etc.

As I wrote a few weeks back, the Christus grant is specifically to help farmers grow diverse produce so as many people on supplemental food benefits can use them at the Washington Park farmer’s market as possible.

Thanks to a Zoom meeting Courtney McCary tuned into on Thursday, she finally got clarification that the Farmers’ Market Nutritional Program did not provide funding for Otero WIC families this season. Partially because of low redemption rates the past few years, the funding was reallocated elsewhere in New Mexico. I’m so sorry.

The reason I have been so focused on writing about the gardens in particular is that they’re such a great, FREE resource to our community. I try to keep up with Courtney’s work, and spread the news through this blog and word-of-mouth. I aim to personally help water the gardens at least once a month. I try to recruit others to water as well.

I do all this because I feel it’s my duty to try to inform you all about what this city has to help you as well as help With Many Hands maintain it.

McCary also found out that of the around $39k allocated for the Senior Nutrition Program this year, only about 1/3 of it has been redeemed. If WIC is anything to go by, we could be looking at losing out on that money in the future, and we REALLY don’t want that to happen. Luckily, there are 2 very important things you can do to stop that from happening:

1. If you are a senior or lower income, go online and apply for the appropriate benefits program. Only by applying can you find out if you qualify.
2. If you are or know any farmers, tell them about this great work. Hell, point me in their direction and I’ll do it for you! The other reason WIC redemption and SNP redemption rates have been low is that there aren’t enough farmers offering produce at the farmers’ market for beneficiaries to use them on.

We have just under a month left for the Alamogordo Farmers’ Market at Washington Park this season. Reminder, it is every Saturday from 10am-noon. Let’s make the most of it!

Salud.