As we move deeper into autumn and start planning Thanksgiving feasts or other celebrations as the season turns, the Santa Fe Farmers Market offers a splendid array of delicious food to elevate your holiday table. Voted “Top Ten Farmers’ Markets” by Sunset Magazine, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market is one of the oldest, largest, and most successful markets in the country. More than 100 farmers and producers in 15 New Mexico counties are part of the Santa Fe Farmers Market, which nourishes and delights the community while supporting and promoting small farms and sustainable agriculture.

While farmers' markets can be associated with the warmth and greenery of spring and summer, harvest season continues to offer a cornucopia of local foods to nourish and delight as the temperatures dip. Crisp apples, fresh marigold flowers, and bright red chile ristras captivate the senses, and golden-brown loaves of bread pair beautifully with local honey, jam, or jelly. Pumpkins, potatoes, beets, yams, and winter squash are perfect for roasting in the oven on a brisk fall day, while kale, mushrooms, swiss chard, spinach, and garlic can be sauteed into tasty sides. Crunchy carrots and just-harvested salad greens balance the palate, and you can fill your basket with other nourishing foods like free-range eggs, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, yogurt, and cheese. If you would like to visit the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market this November, swing by the Railyard between 8 am and 1 pm on Tuesday or Saturday. You can also check out the Tianguis Movil Mobile Produce Market, which brings fresh, nutritious foods to low-income and low-food-access communities around Santa Fe.

The 2025 New Mexico Recycling & Solid Waste Conference had the theme "Circularity in Action" and took place from September 30 to October 1 in downtown Santa Fe. With over 180 attendees representing 94 different organizations/communities, 33 speakers, and 20 exhibitors, it was an excellent opportunity to learn from colleagues and peers within the recycling, compost, sustainable materials management, and solid waste professional community. The 2025 Recycling Award Ceremony celebrates important work being done across New Mexico, and two local organizations were selected for special recognition. Reunity Resources was awarded "Community-Based Program of the Year" for their food waste drop-off facility in Eldorado, and Santa Fe County was awarded "Diversion Project of the Year" for improvements to the Backyard Composting Program.

A key piece of news shared at the conference is that New Mexico will be updating its Solid Waste Management Plan. The Resource Recovery Bureau (formerly New Mexico Environment Department) is leveraging funding from the EPA's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program and support from consultant Burns & McDonnell to move this project forward. The State's plan was last updated in 2015, and the new version will modernize statewide waste management strategies, strengthen data collection, and set goals for recycling, food waste reduction, and sustainable materials management.

New Mexico has one of the highest food insecurity rates in the nation, and the end of federal SNAP benefits on November 1st  impacts over 20% of New Mexicans. The State of New Mexico plans to provide $30 million as a 10-day stopgap measure, and many community organizations are stepping up to alleviate hunger in our community.

The Santa Fe Farmers' Market Institute offers the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps make healthy food affordable and accessible by doubling SNAP transactions. This increases purchasing power for shoppers while supporting farmers and boosting the local economy. Participants can shop at the market with special tokens, as well as enroll in a Produce Subscription at half the normal price.

This November, the Santa Fe Farmers' Market Institute is also collaborating with the New Mexico Department of Health to offer a special, temporary voucher program. Qualified households can receive $40 in vouchers to spend on food at the Railyard Market or a Mobile Market, and federal/state food assistance recipients are eligible to receive these vouchers if their household includes seniors (60+), school-age children, or people with disabilities. More information can be found here.

Volunteers play an important role in keeping Santa Fe County clean and beautiful, and we want to extend our sincere appreciation to the community members who are part of our Adopt-a-Road program. Since the beginning of the year, Adopt-a-Road volunteers have picked up over 202 bags of trash from roadsides in Santa Fe County, with the Galisteo Community Association and La Cieneguilla Neighborhood Association (pictured on the right) collectively collecting 33 bags of trash during community cleanups in October.

Adopt-a-Road participants receive free bags, gloves, safety vests, and “road work” signs for their roadside cleanups. Santa Fe County also installs metal road signs that display the group’s name and define the adopted section of road.  

While the chilly weather of November might not be ideal for roadside cleanups, it can be a great time to look ahead to spring volunteering. In addition to the Adopt-a-Road program, there are plenty of other lower-commitment opportunities to participate in community cleanups here in Santa Fe County. You can learn more about how you can volunteer with local organizations on the State of New Mexico’s Breaking Bad Habits website.