Nueva Utopia 1844 and Dr. Anita Rodriguez were honored to participate in the “Saving Rural America Conference: Bridging Generations: Where Land Meets Legacy” on January 15, 2026. Sponsored by the Winston County Self Help Cooperative (WCSHC), the event was held at Casa Fiore from 9:00 am-3:00 pm in Mesilla Park, NM. A diverse lineup of speakers attended and came from different cities and small towns throughout the state of NM and focused on their heritage, agriculture, and sustainability:
• Legacy & Resilience: Jim Armendariz (USDA NRCS) and Dr. Ivette Guzman(NMSU) shared powerful stories of migrating from Mexico and rising from farm- working backgrounds to achieve success in their areas of expertise: rangeland management and scientific research focusing on native medicinal plants.
• Business & Strategy: Andrea Alvarez (La Reina Chile Company) provided practical advice on utilizing SAM.GOV for minority grants, diversification, and creating value-added foods/products so that other revenue streams may be obtained.
• Education & Skill-Building: Retired educator and military Veteran Dan Garley shared insights on transitioning “From the Classroom to the Arena,” teaching horsemanship to the next generation.
• Community & Wellness: Melissa Toledo (Communidades Unidas LLC) led interactive sessions on the vital link between healthy land, and the importance of physical and mental wellbeing, as well as helpful tips to consider/determine if you are managing stress/health appropriately.
• Land Stewardship: Sabino and Doris Rivera (The Rivera Ranch) spoke on programs they’ve utilized that have assisted them within their multi-generational farming/ranch operation in Northern New Mexico, while Kenneth “Kenny” Baca discussed strategies for preserving family ranches for future generations, as well as numerous agencies and both Federal and State programs available to farmers and ranchers, as well as planning sooner, rather than later for will and trusts.
The event also featured multiple USDA resources, with two USDA reps present, one from the local Las Cruces office, and one form Northern NM that served as guest speaker as well. One Asian farmer had organic Jerusalem artichokes for sale, while another had handmade leather goods for horses and dogs, as well as decorative leather crosses for humans from River Wood Leather & Tack. There were other artisanal decorative items on a display table honoring Hopi Indigenous heritage and locally grown seeds.
Fifty-three people participated in the event, including 2 babies and 3 toddlers. The “Children’s Area” featured coloring books related to agriculture- pollinator flowers, insects, and animals, as well as some USDA FSA coloring books, and a few wooden blocks- shaped like fruits and farm animals, which children and parents enjoyed coloring. At the end of the conference, many participants praised the evident unity, or “joined string” that was apparent amongst the speakers, as well as the collaboration, and delicious food which featured locally grown pecans from Pena’s Pecan Nursery, local coffee, which included 3 NM made flavors (pecan, pinon, pistachio) from Heart of the Desert. Nueva Utopia 1844 extends its deepest gratitude to WCSHC for their generous contribution in ensuring that the event was a success, as well as to all the speakers and participants for attending.
To view all pictures from this event click here.
