Wagner family honored with award at State Fair last month

ALBUQUERQUE — Corrales’ Wagner Farms was honored at by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the New Mexico State Fair as the 2024 New Mexico Farm Family of the Year Sept. 12 at the Fairgrounds in Albuquerque.

According to Mayor James Fahey and the Wagner Farms website, the Wagner family began with Augustin Wagner Sr., who started farming in Corrales in 1910 with 55 acres of farmland for growing green chile, alfalfa and a small variety of fruits and vegetables.

“To add to his farming repertoire, Augustin Sr. went on to start the first commercial winery in Corrales, the fifth commercial winery in New Mexico. Where the family now operates an apple orchard, Augustin established a 20-acre vineyard, which laid the foundation for the Wagners’ reputation as a well-known wine producer in the state,” Wagner Farms said in a news release.

Augustin’s son Gus ran the farm for almost 60 years, starting in 1955. Corraleños saw Gus as a reputable landowner and a man with insight in the community. He passed away in 2020, leaving behind a legacy of one-of-a-kind work ethic and a robust tradition of family farming.

Now the Wagner family farms more than 300 acres in Corrales and Socorro. They also run a farm store, restaurant, corn maze and hayrides, and host an annual apple festival.

To find out more about Wagner Farms, visit their Facebook page at Wagner Farms Corrales.