A Celebration 20 Years in the Making!
From upper left clockwise:
Marion “Young Elk” Magdalena of the Jemez Pueblo performed evocative musical selections on his beautiful hand-carved flutes; Diane Sandoval-Griego, Board Member and Chief of Financial Empowerment at Guadalupe Credit Union and the Institute’s microloan partner signs-in our volunteers, each of whom received a 20th Anniversary tote bag; Volunteers Van Swift (l) and Ann Lavine (r) welcome Mayor Alan Webber and Councilor Signe Lindell; Volunteers Marsha Jones and Kody Kantor greet guests at the Water Tower; An uncharacteristically shy moment with the gregarious greeter and Docent, Jonni Lu Pool; Elder Kathy and her sister representing Tewa Women United opened the commemoration with a blessing of the land; Taking-in the festivities from different perspectives; 2017 Institute Board Member Mike McGeary was ubiquitous at the 20th anniversary celebration: sitting in with the buskers and shopping for plants; The littlest fan enjoys the balloon sculptures and music at the Water Tower; Thank you bouquet for our nearly 40 volunteers who made the day of festivities possible! All-in-all the day was the cat’s meow! Round Mountain musicians Robby and Cha Rothschild reunite for a performance under the Water Tower. They started their career at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market 20 years ago! Volunteer Cheryl Johnson and Executive Director Andrea Fisher Maril staff the welcome table at the Paseo de Peralta entrance; The juggler draws attention to the Institute’s Business and Corporate Sponsors; Little sprouts all around! A rainbow of possibilities for the face painters; Wade and Cadance of Lotus Farms, LLC were first in line for face painting; Volunteer and Early Childhood Educator Ann MacVicar gets ready to assist the face painters with their young charges. The right person for the job – she came prepared with story books for those waiting in line! Thank you to all participants – It took a village!
The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute was founded in 2002 to advocate for farmers, ranchers and other land-based producers; provide equitable access to fresh, local food; own and operate a year-round venue for the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market; and manage programs to help sustain a profitable, locally-based agricultural community. On June 25, 2022, exactly 20 years to the day when the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute’s incorporation papers were signed, the community gathered to celebrate this significant milestone.

It was a time to look back on the history of the Institute, honor accomplishments, and plan for the future. In this spirit, Elder Kathy representing the Saya’in Circle of Grandmothers of Tewa Women United opened the commemoration with a blessing of the land. Tewa Women United have as their focus, “nurturing and celebrating the collective power of beloved families, communities, and Nung Ochuu Quiyo (Earth Mother).” There was no better way to open a community gathering at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute than with her words.

The celebration then took place amidst the bustle of the Saturday Santa Fe Farmers’ Market at the Railyard. Family-friendly street entertainment such as Wise Fools’ jugglers, stilt walkers and face painters spanned from the Paseo de Peralta entrance to the Water Tower, and into the Market Pavilion.
Celebrants enjoyed musical genres ranging from evocative Native American music played by Marlon “Young Elk” Magdalena on his lovely hand-carved flutes to a reunion of Robby and Cha Rothschild as the duo Round Mountain. Performing on guitars and the West African kora, the duo drew a crowd for their original songs at the very spot where they first began to play music 20 years ago.

We were honored by the presence of Mayor Alan Webber and Councilor Signe Lindell who proclaimed June 25, 2022 Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute Day in Santa Fe. A commendation from the New Mexico State Legislature was read by Executive Director Andrea Fisher Maril, and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández celebrated the Institute with an entry into the Congressional Record delivered by Institute Board Chair Michael Knight. Steven Robinson, founding President of the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation offered a reflection on the early days of the Institute, as did Institute founding Executive Director Sarah Noss.


Most of all, our hats are off to the nearly 40 volunteers who welcomed guests, managed prize drawings, assisted entertainers, and made the day’s activities run smoothly. We couldn’t have provided such a carefree celebration for the public without them! If you are interested in volunteering for events in the future, we would welcome you into the Institute family! 

We just launched out new website in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary Celebration! You’ll find our complete 48-page 2021 Annual Report, many new features including a Chef Shout Out, and information on how to volunteer and donate. Check us out!
Chronicling the event was our ace videography crew Adria Malcolm and Board Member Robert W. Jones. They worked in tandem with still photographer Genevieve Russell and Board Member Lisa Kantor, an excellent photographer in her own right.
Tickets now on sale for the Institute’s Foodie Film Night in Partnership with CCA!
Join us on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 5pm. All tickets are $10, at the CCA Box Office. (1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501, 505-982-1338). Order online

  • Join fellow foodies for a screening of East Side Sushi winner of 11 Film Festival Awards including Best Film and Direction (Anthony Lucero) from the Mexican Cinema Journalists.
 
 

  • The Institute expresses its gratitude to Board Development Chair, Lisa Kantor for her sponsorship of this event.
On any given Saturday Farmers’ Market at the Railyard, shoppers might spot one of Santa Fe’s outstanding chefs. None is more beloved than Executive Chef Estevan Garcia, a native son and chef-owner of estevan restaurante.

Raised in Santa Fe, Chef Estevan is a graduate of St. Michael’s High School and attended the College of Santa Fe, after a four-year retreat at a monastery in Indiana.

Although he first began to cook with his mother in their family home, he said he “learned by doing, cooking in kitchens under different chefs.” (The restaurants included well-known local establishments such as Bishop’s Lodge and The Bull Ring). He then “fell in love with French cuisine and opened Café San Estevan restaurant in Los Angeles.” Years later he returned to the City Different and created a dining experience that he describes as “New Mexican fusion with a French flare.” His first local venture was the original Guadalupe Café on Guadalupe Street, where he worked alongside his mother recreating some of their favorite New Mexican dishes.
It was near the Guadalupe Café that Estevan first met Antonio Manzanares, owner of Shepherd’s Lamb, a 200-acre ranch in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico. Antonio was just beginning to promote his lamb around Santa Fe and happened to find a parking spot for his truck and his refrigerated trailer near Guadalupe Café. “Chef Estevan was sitting out in front of his restaurant and came over to see what I was selling out of the back of my trailer,” Manzanares relayed. “I gave him some lamb to try, and he started buying from us – that was nearly 20 years ago. He’s been to our operation to see how we do things and orders consistently. This helps us tremendously, it is something we can count on every week.” Today, Chef Estevan’s menu features Organic Shepherd’s Lamb Rib Chops and Shepherd’s Lamb Shank Stew on estevan restaurante’s dinner menu.

Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Manager Nery Martinez shared that “Chef Estevan is respectful of the farmers and grateful to the vendors, no matter where they are from. He does not ask for special concessions, but rather deals fairly at the market guided by his passion for good vegetables and his understanding of the hard work of farming.” He also gets to know the farmers’ children. ”The kids were always waiting for Estevan to come to the Market each Saturday,” said Nery. Chef Estevan shared, “I was doing all of the shopping and carrying myself, and it was a lot of work. I saw that the farmers brought their kids with them. I started hiring them to help me carry the bags to the car.”

Chef Estevan tells us that he shops at the Market every Saturday and then returns to the restaurant with his selections. He said, “The farmers are VIPS; they give me menu ideas with their produce. I go to the Market knowing my basic needs such as greens and tomatoes, but what salad I offer depends on what I discover: one week it may be Bibb lettuce and the next week it might be Romaine.”

While he sources from farmers across the Market, Chef Estevan said his most important ingredient is the red chile that he buys from Cresencio “Chencho” Ochoa’s El Jardin de Chile de Chimayó. What makes Chencho’s chile so special? Chencho said, “It’s the soil; it’s a gift from God. Over the course of history, every pueblo had its own chile, and the soil made the difference between the varieties. All Chimayo chile is medium hot, and that is determined by the soil.” A first generation farmer from Colombia, Chencho has been farming in Chimayó for twenty years. Chencho is grateful for Chef Estevan’s loyalty, as “it makes it possible to start the farm each year.”

Chef Estevan Garcia’s holistic approach to the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market community is deeply appreciated by the vendors. In an extraordinary show of gratitude to the farmers, Chef Estevan is reciprocating with gift certificates for dinner for two for all of the 2021 and 2022 Farmer All Stars. “I want the farmers to experience the restaurant and see how we incorporate their produce into our farm to table menu at estevan restaurante.” Chencho Ochoa said that he “feels proud that his product is chosen by Chef Estevan." Antonio Manzanares added, “He cares for us, and we care for him."

We are pleased to profile Chef Estevan Garcia in our first Chef Shout Out. Please learn more here and plan your visit to estevan restaurante: cultivar la tierra located on the second floor of Hotel Chimayo, 125 Washington Street, Santa Fe.
Some of the flock of 600 lambs frolicking at Shepherd’s Lamb’s 200-acre ranch.
Cresencio “Chencho” Ochoa pictured at his booth at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market with his signature Chile de Chimayó
Heading South: Exploring Del Sur Market
Photo: Isaiah Rodriguez, Courtesy of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce
Front row (left to right) Anna Farrier, Executive Director, Cooking with Kids; Steve Martinez, Senior Program Manager, Community Health, Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center (PSFMC); Kyle Burns, Treasurer, Board of Directors, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute (the ”Institute”); Andrea Fisher Maril, Executive Director, the Institute; Michael Knight (holding Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce certificate) Board Chair, the Institute; Debbie Burns, CEO, Santa Fe Farmers’ Market cuts the ribbon; David R. Scrase, MD, Secretary, New Mexico Health and Human Services Department; Veronica Griego, Manager, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, New Mexico Department of Health; Sarah Flores-Sievers, WIC Director, New Mexico Department of Health; Jon Wade, Chief Hospital Executive, Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center; unidentified community member; Jacqueline Smith, (PSFMC) Government Affairs; Jamie Cassutt, District 4 Councilor, City of Santa Fe. Second Row, Robert W. Jones, Development Co-Chair, Institute Board of Directors; Carrie Thielen, Manager of Regional Community Health (PSFMC); Rick Scott, President, Foundation; two unidentified guests; Jeff Claypool, Support Services (PSFMC); Justin Schroer, Foundation Director; Victoria Brown, Chief Nurse Executive, (PSFMC); and Sarah Stall, Chief Operations Officer (PSFMC).
Tuesdays, July 5 through September 27, 2022 (3pm-6pm)
Main Parking Lot, Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center
(4801 Beckner Road – just off of Cerrillos)

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, in partnership with Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center, is committed to connecting local growers with the entire city of Santa Fe. The Del Sur Market is helping to spread fresh, healthy food to our wonderful, growing community. Stop by after school or after work and select from vendors of fresh produce, meat, eggs, bread, honey, and pick up a bouquet of flowers to brighten your table. Double Up Food Bucks, Fresh Rx, and WIC accepted for eligible purchases.

Chef Arianna Corriz, of our partner YouthWorks!
Check out the calendar on our website for the schedule of cooking demonstrations and other family-friendly activities, as well as surprise pop-up performance announcements! There is so much to discover that we encourage children to complete our Market Explorer’s Passport in four activity areas to win prizes: Cooking with Kids, Community Corner, Super Food of the Week, and Eating a Rainbow. Visit the Information Booth at the Del Sur Market for more information on this fun summer journey.
Remembering Gayle Ice
The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute expresses its condolences to Thomas and Lisa Ice in the passing of their mother, Gayle Ice, on June 22, 2022 at the age of 89. Her husband of 62 years, Ron Ice, preceded her in death in 2021.

The family shared that Gayle was a native of Louisiana and received a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Louisiana State University. Once settled in New Mexico, she served as the librarian at Pojoaque Valley Middle School for many years, eventually retiring with her husband to Alcalde. According to the family, Ron and Gayle started farming in the early 1990s. They rented a tractor to put in a small vegetable garden, and began taking their harvest to the Santa Fe Farmers Market shortly thereafter. 

Founders of Ice’s Organic Farm, Gayle and Ron Ice were a fixture at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market for nearly 30 years. In 2012, The Ice’s were named Farmer All Stars by the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute in recognition of their contributions to the farming community. 

Institute patrons Barbara Lenssen and Keith Anderson remember the couple fondly. Barbara shared, “We always went to the Ice booth first before anyone else. We were at the home recently and bought eggs from Gayle and saw all the new greenhouses and planting areas.” Keith added, “She had the energy and love for farming,” and as she said, ‘…getting to see all the people.’ ”

She will be missed.
How You Can Help
MISSION STATEMENT
The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute’s mission is to advocate for farmers, ranchers and other land-based producers; provide equitable access to fresh, local food; own and operate a year-round venue for the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market; and manage programs to help sustain a profitable, locally-based agricultural community.
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THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS!
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 These lead sponsors help ensure the sustainability of the northern New Mexico food system as well as nurture the agricultural community and the customers that make the Santa Fe Farmers' Market so successful.