Hunger Around the Nation: Focus on Albuquerque, New Mexico

By Paula L. Smith-Vanderslice

Section three of three.

(Albuquerque, Sept. 14, 2003)

In addition to the free food assistance from RRFB, adults buying food can find inexpensive food at the farmers’ markets in the city. In Albuquerque, there are five farmer’s markets, with two independently owned, called Farmer’s Baskets, the latter of which I’ll focus on.

Photo: Paula Smith-Vanderslice

Owner and store manager Ed Bernal, whose family goes back many generations here, bought two of the Farmer’s Markets five months ago, and renamed them to reflect new ownership. The store at the Stanford Drive location, a few blocks from the Avenida Cesar Chavez, was the original Farmer’s Market, built in 1962.

Photo: Paula Smith-Vanderslice

Bernal, who is Latino, is bilingual Spanish/English, and so is the cashier, along with several other employees at both stores. His father was a restaurateur, and he possesses food wisdom. His stores are a family affair, with his wife, two daughters, nephew, and granddaughter helping him run the business. There are 10 paid employees, two from Somalia. He says that he has thought about hiring employees who need to work community service hours for misdemeanors.

He says his stores meet customers’ demand, especially at the Zuni Road location, which caters to a larger Mexican and Asian customer base. Many of the Stanford store’s customers are students at nearby University of New Mexico. Bernal adds that without bilingual staff, his stores would lose a lot of business. Albuquerque’s population is about one-third Latino.

The majority of food at this public market is produce, with some natural pre-packaged food. Bernal wants to increase the variety of pre-packaged foods, he says. Anasazi beans are sold here, but the single, most popular, local food item in August that is ingrained in the culture here is chile, from the town of Hatch, New Mexico. Green chiles are fresh-roasted at the market. Red chiles are sold as decorative ristra hangings, as well as to eat. Produce is supplied by farms in Arizona, the San Joaquin Valley in California, and the Rio Grande Valley in the Harlingen, Texas area.

Photo: Paula Smith-Vanderslice

Customer shopping at Farmer's Basket.

Upon entering the store, one may notice the sticker that states that the store is approved by the City of Albuquerque for sanitation standards. The U.S.D.A. can arrive at anytime for an on-the-spot inspection, which ensures that the store’s sanitary practices meet standards. Similar to with the RRFB, the U.S.D.A. has the ultimate say here, as well. Food that is bought in Mexico is labeled with its ingredients in Texas before being sold in neighboring states.

Photo: Paula Smith-Vanderslice

A food bank-- not Roadrunner, says Bernal-- approached the Farmer’s Baskets, but has not followed through so far to pick up any food. Bernal adds that ARM comes directly to the Farmer’s Basket to pick up free food for its hungry.

The first RRFB Hunger Summit, sponsored at press time by the Daniels Fund, a supporter of early childhood education and other youth programs in the western United States, will be held in Albuquerque on October 16-17, 2003. Speakers will include New Mexico Lt. Gov. Diane D. Denish (D), along with author Loretta Schwartz-Noble and the chair elect of America’s Second Harvest’s board of directors. Five thousand guests are expected, and much should come of the summit.

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