Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future
NM Ag Secretary Discusses Drought and Adaptation | 9.24.21
Season 5 Episode 10 | 6m 43sVideo has Closed Captions
New Mexico Ag. Sec. Jeff Witte on the outlook for New Mexico's farmers and ranchers.
It's been another challenging year for New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers, who have experienced drought and, in some places, extreme precipitation events. New Mexico Department of Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte spoke with environment reporter Laura Paskus about conditions and what they mean for farmers, as well as consumers.
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Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future is a local public television program presented by NMPBS
Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future
NM Ag Secretary Discusses Drought and Adaptation | 9.24.21
Season 5 Episode 10 | 6m 43sVideo has Closed Captions
It's been another challenging year for New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers, who have experienced drought and, in some places, extreme precipitation events. New Mexico Department of Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte spoke with environment reporter Laura Paskus about conditions and what they mean for farmers, as well as consumers.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipLaura: SECRETARY WITTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME ON NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS TODAY.
Witte: GLAD TO BE HERE, LAURA.
THANK YOU.
Laura: DROUGHT IS WIDESPREAD.
WE HAVE SEEN COMMUNITIES WHERE WE HAVE SEEN EXTREME PRECIPITATION EVENTS THIS SUMMER.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF HOW THE FARMING AND RANCHING COMMUNITY IS DOING IN NEW MEXICO THIS SUMMER?
Witte: IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING AND IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING YEAR.
WE STARTED OUT VERY DRY.
IN OUR FARMING COMMUNITIES MOST OF THEM LIKE HERE IN THE SOUTHERN END OF THE STATE WE WERE ONLY ALLOCATED A FEW INCHES OF SURFACE IRRIGATION.
A LOT OF FARMERS HAD TO RELY ON GROUNDWATER, WATER PUMPING.
IF YOU DRIVE AROUND THE SOUTHERN PART OF DONA ANA COUNTY AND NORTHERN PART OF DONA ANA COUNTY AND EVEN SIERRA COUNTY YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF FALLOWED LAND.
LAND THAT JUST DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO WATER.
THAT IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE DROUGHT.
THE RANCH LAND ACROSS THE STATE, IT STARTED OFF VERY, VERY DRY.
AS WE WENT INTO JUNE IT WAS REALLY TOUGH AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THESE RAINS CAME AND NOW FOR THE MOST PART ACROSS THE STATE, YOU SEE SOME GOOD GRASS THAT HAS GROWN.
IT IS AMAZING HOW THE NEW MEXICO LAND SCAPE TAKES CARE OF ITSELF WHEN WE GET A LITTLE RAIN.
IT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT, JUST A LITTLE, BUT WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH GOOD RAINS.
NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE IS STILL DRY AND WE NEED TO GET SOME MORE RAIN UP THERE.
OUR FARMERS AND RANCHERS ARE VERY RESILIENT.
THEY PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR, ALTHOUGH IT WAS REALLY GETTING TOUGH.
A LOT OF RANCHERS THAT SOLD OFF A LOT OF THEIR HERDS EARLY ON, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHOICE.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE GRASS.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BUY HAY.
IT IS NOT ECONOMICALLY VIABLE SO WE STARTED OFF ROUGH.
IT IS LOOKING A LITTLE BETTER RIGHT NOW.
Laura: I AM CURIOUS, WHEN FARMERS HAVE TO FALLOW FIELDS, WHEN YOU MISS A CUTTING OR A CROP HARVEST, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUAL FARMER BUT THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE AND THEN ALSO MAYBE CONSUMERS?
Witte: YOU SEE, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DOWN IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO WHERE WE HAD THE FALLOWED LAND.
A LOT OF THAT USE TO BE ONIONS OR LETTUCE OR CHILE, FOR INSTANCE.
YOU'LL SEE LESS OF THAT PRODUCT ON THE TABLE.
NEW MEXICO IS NO.
1 IN PRODUCTION OF CHILE.
NEW MEXICO IS NO.
1 IN PRODUCTION OF SUMMER ONIONS.
WE ARE LIKE A SALAD BOWL FOR A FEW MONTHS IN THIS STATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE TO BRING IT IN FROM OTHER PLACES.
YOU HOPE THAT TEXAS OR CALIFORNIA HAS A GOOD PRODUCTION CYCLE.
SO THE CONSUMER HAS THAT AVAILABLE BUT YOU'LL SEE HIGHER PRICE FOR HIS THOSE COMMODITIES.
YOU MAY SEE INCREASED IMPORTS OF THOSE ITEMS.
PEOPLE PREFER THE BUY LOCAL.
WE ALL PREFER THE NEW MEXICO PRODUCT, ESPECIALLY NEW MEXICO CHILE AND ONIONS AND ALL THE GOOD THINGS WE GROW, BUT IT MAKES IT TOUGH WHEN WE CAN'T WATER IT.
Laura: I AM CURIOUS BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO WATCHING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN THIS YEAR AND SHORTAGES.
HOW DOES THAT EITHER AFFECT NEW MEXICO MARKETS OR MAYBE PREVIEW WHAT COULD BE TO COME HERE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
Witte: I HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH MY COUNTERPART IN CALIFORNIA SECRETARY ROSS.
EVEN HERE, OUR FARMERS HAVE LEARNED HOW TO ADAPT TO LESS WATER.
THEY INCREASE THEIR PRODUCTION PER ACRE ON FEWER ACRES TO OFFSET SOME OF THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T OFFSET ALL OF IT.
NEW MEXICO, WE ARE KIND OF IN A WINDOW BETWEEN, A LOT OF TIMES, BETWEEN TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA HARVEST CYCLES.
IF CALIFORNIA IS NOT HARVESTING, OUR FARMERS DO REALLY WELL PRICE WISE.
SAME THING WITH TEXAS.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE COLORADO BASIN AND LESS WATER IS THAT YOU'LL SEE LESS ACRES IN CALIFORNIA.
CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW, BY FAR THE NO.
1 PRODUCER OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES SO IT IS GOING TO HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY.
THEIR FARMERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY GET GOOD WITH EFFICIENCIES AND IRRIGATION SCHEDULES AND EVEN MAYBE LOOKING AT CHANGING SOME OF THEIR CROPPING PATTERNS.
WHEN YOU HAVE FIELD CROPS, SAY LIKE THEIR VEGETABLE CROPS YOU, THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU CAN CHANGE THAT.
WHEN YOU HAVE TREE CROPS LIKE WHAT WE HAVE IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO, PECANS, THEY HAVE ALMONDS.
YOU CAN'T CHANGE THOSE.
YOU HAVE TO DO ALL YOU CAN TO PROTECT THOSE.
Laura: IS IT REALISTIC TO THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE FARMING AND RANCHING IN NEW MEXICO THE WAY WE ALWAYS HAVE?
WHAT CHOICES DO WE NEED TO MAKE ON OUR FARMS AND RANCHES AND AS CONSUMERS AS WELL?
Witte: I THINK ABSOLUTELY WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE FARMING AND RANCHING IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO.
WE JUST HAVE TOO MUCH LAND.
THAT IS THE BEST USE OF THAT LAND.
WILL WE BE DOING IT LIKE WE HAVE IN THE PAST, THE GREATEST THING WE HAVE IN NEW MEXICO IS WE HAVE A LOT OF CUSTOMS AND CULTURE AND WE RESPECT THE CULTURES OF THE PAST.
BUT YOU LOOK AT EVERY PRODUCER THAT IS OUT THERE TODAY AND NONE OF THEM ARE DOING IT LIKE THEIR GRANDFATHERS DID, OUR GREAT GRANDFATHERS DID.
EVERYBODY ADDS THEIR OWN FLAVOR TO THEIR CULTURE.
THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN ADAPTATION OF TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT YESTERDAY IN TOMORROW'S AGRICULTURE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE USES OF WATER CHANGE AND THE DYNAMICS AND OPPORTUNITIES -- AND I AM NOT EVEN SURE WHAT IT IS GOING TO BE, BECAUSE SOME OF THIS STUFF HASN'T EVEN BEEN INVENTED YET.
THOSE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE FUTURE AND THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE GENERATION AFTER THAT WILL ADAPT.
THEY'LL PRODUCE THAT FOOD.
I THINK FOR OUR CONSUMERS, COVID SHOWED US ONE THING.
WE LOVE LOCAL FOOD AND IT WAS AVAILABLE AND THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAD IS CONNECTING THE PRODUCERS TO THE CONSUMERS AND WE HAVE GOT TO ALL DO BETTER JOB OF THAT.
CONSUMERS NEED TO LOOK FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUY THE LOCAL AND TO SUPPORT FARMERS AND RANCHERS.
Laura: SECRETARY WITTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING TO ME.
Witte: GLAD TO BE HERE.
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Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future is a local public television program presented by NMPBS