Sandoval County, others win awards for providing local, healthy meals

Organizations from Farmington to Roswell and up and down the Rio Grande Valley have been recognized for "mature and fruitful" food programs that deliver local and nutritious foods to children, older adults and seniors.

The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Grown Coalition last month announced the 2024 Golden Chile Award winners. New Mexico Grown established the awards program, which aims to increase the availability of locally grown food, gardening lessons, nutrition information and other food-related services with the goal of making communities healthy and self-reliant.

Sandoval County was one of the entities that took home top honors this year. The county won the Green Chile award for its senior program, which provided senior centers with locally sourced meals.

Jayme Espinoza, Sandoval County's director of community services, said the county partnered with more than 30 ranchers and farmers, including C4 Farms in Tierra Amarilla for beef and farmers in Doña Ana County for fruits and vegetables, to bring high-quality and healthy food to older adults in Sandoval.

"It is a win-win for everyone involved, and we look forward to supporting this growing effort," Espinoza said.

The Golden Chile award celebrates the innovative use of New Mexico Grown programming, specifically in cases helping elementary and senior communities.

The Golden Chile is the highest honor, followed by Blossom, Sprout and Seed awards. The chile awards recognize the most "mature and fruitful" food programs.

Fifteen organizations earned the top Golden Chile award, according to the New Mexico Department of Health's website.

The other organizations that received the award were:

•Desert Verde Farm in Santa Fe

•North Valley Organics

•Rancho de Santa Fe

•Frontier Food Hub in Silver City

•San Juan College Harvest Food Hub

•A Gold Star Academy & Child Development Center in Farmington

•Christina Kent Early Childhood Center in Albuquerque

•Farmington Municipal Schools Childcare Center Sponsorship

•Future Generations, LLC, in Clovis

•New Mexico Early Learning Academy in Albuquerque

•Elida Municipal Schools

•Farmington Municipal Schools

•Roswell Independent School District

•Blanco & Lower Valley senior centers

New Mexico Grown is a network of 10 public institutions — including the Health Department and The Food Depot, a food bank in northern New Mexico — coming together to increase education and access the distribution of locally farmed goods to people who otherwise might not have access to them.

Kendal Chavez is the food and hunger advisor in the governor's office. She said the organizations that received the awards are making the state healthier.

“Your support of local, nutritious food for preschoolers, students and seniors is building a healthier New Mexico," she said in a news release.

When Sandoval County asked Espinoza about the programming, she said it was “a no-brainer.”

Sandoval County uses a grant from New Mexico’s Aging and Long Term Services Department to purchase and distribute locally sourced food.

Espinoza said the county makes a monthly menu and buys hundreds of pounds of fruit, meat and vegetables so it can make five lunches a week for senior centers.

The food is cooked and prepared at three of the seven senior centers and driven and dropped off to the other four centers.

Homebound seniors can have meals delivered.

“Sometimes people kind of scoff,” Espinoza said. “But these are quality, amazing meals.”