Farmers promote healthy eating to RRHS students

RIO RANCHO — Two New Mexico farms served up locally NM Grown food to scores of hungry Rio Rancho and Cleveland high school students at lunchtime last week in an effort to educate them on the importance of healthy eating.

Representatives from Wagner Farm in Corrales and Red Doc Farm in Belen were on hand Oct. 1-2, respectively, to deliver nutritious meals in connection with New Mexico Grown Month, meant to promote a program that connects schools with farms. The month of promotion comes as the Trump administration is considering a $10 billion bailout to farmers in response to tariffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“We pride ourselves on partnering with our growers and our farmers ... because that helps us support each other, and, in turn, it helps us get fresh produce and fresh items to our students,” said Felix Griego, executive director of student nutrition of Rio Rancho Public Schools. “(The farmers) have a business they run, but they’re out here supporting our kids and our district, so we’re very grateful for them.”

Griego was referring to Anthony Wagner, head of Wagner Farm, and Ronda Sanchez, manager of Red Doc Farm. Wagner served watermelon at Cleveland on Wednesday, and Sanchez served beef from Santa Gertrudis cattle and pinto beans on Thursday at RRHS. The high school also served Wagner’s watermelon and fresh-picked apples from an orchard in Belen on Thursday.

“Ultimately, our goal is to get students educated (about) having healthy meals that they have access to every day at school,” Griego said. “Their performance is getting better — I think it ties to everything as a student as a whole. Food is the foundation of them learning.”

The efforts at both high schools were made possible by the farm-to-fork program NM Grown.

Aaron Moore, NM Grown program coordinator for the New Mexico Public Education Department, said NM Grown started as a stand-alone program but later came under PED’s Healthy Universal School Meals program. One of the tenets of that program is to provide food to schools via NM Grown, according to Moore. NM Grown supports farmers and school districts having direct conversations with one another about food supply.

Moore visited RRHS Thursday to try the food from Red Doc Farm when Griego invited him.

“The beans and the watermelon and the beef were the best part of the meal,” Moore said. “The watermelon was so crisp and delicious, and the beans tasted so earthy.”

Red Doc Farms served its beef in both giant heated trays and sample cups, which district cafeteria staff scooped and passed out during the lunch period at RRHS. Sanchez suggested it might pair well with the nachos that were on the menu that day.

She said one of her aims was to teach students where their food comes from.

“I feel like a lot of kids don’t realize how much work it is to get a steak, or even beef at all,” Sanchez said.

The students are getting the message, she said, asking her what kind of beef they’re eating and if it is sold outside the school.

“There’s a spark (of curiosity), at least,” Sanchez said. “They understand they can get beef in a healthy way and have it at home.”

She added that the farm’s beef processing is minimal and includes no additives. Several students who tried samples seemed to pick up on the home-grown flavor.

RRHS senior Tosh Chino said he was excited to eat free food — and he loves carne asada.

More than that, he said the farm’s sample “puts me at ease that it’s not some lab meat.”

“I just know what it is,” Chino said.