Check-in and light breakfast; informal networking among attendees.

Welcome and Opening Remarks Dr. Beth Racine, Center Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at El Paso; Overview of Texas A&M AgriLife and symposium goals.

Sheila Fleischhacker- [email protected]

Audrey Garcia: [email protected]

Authors: Kathryn E. Coakley1, Daisy Rosero1, Acadia W. Buro1, Kevin Estes2, 3, Bryan Crawford-Garrett4

Affiliations:

1University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center College of Population Health

2University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Department of Pediatrics

3University of New Mexico Evaluation Lab

4The New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association

New Mexico has invested in the New Mexico (NM) Grown local food procurement program for over a decade. NM Grown connects local food producers and distributors to institutional buyers (schools, preschools, senior centers, food banks). Buyers receive funds to purchase locally-grown produce, nuts, meat, and other eligible products from “Approved Suppliers” to serve to children, seniors, and food bank clients. In 2025, a multi-year evaluation [Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2025] was conducted to assess NM Grown impacts on institutional buyers and suppliers, communities, and local economies. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, observations, and focus groups with buyers, Approved Suppliers, and Administering Agencies. The evaluation found NM Grown is growing across the state; producer participation increased from 217 in FY2023 to 253 in FY2025 while total buyer spending increased from $1.93 million in FY2023 to $5.41 million in FY2025. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed NM Grown positively impacts food producers, buyers, vulnerable populations, communities, and local economies. Products are high-quality, culturally-relevant, and fresh, improving menu variety and nutritional value. Strong local relationships and collaboration, administrative support, and alignment with values and traditions promote program success. Barriers are related to production and distribution capacity, staffing and labor shortages and turnover, product prices, timing of funding distribution, delivery feasibility and costs, and administrative burdens. Despite barriers, NM Grown largely positively affects food producers and economies while also supporting community food and nutrition security. Building local food system capacity and securing recurring funding are key next steps to support and expand program success.

Jujube cultivars were first imported into the United States by USDA agricultural explorer Frank Meyer between 1908 and 1918. More than 100 cultivars are currently present in the U.S., but none have been formally released with detailed descriptions. To improve cultivar identification, the NMSU Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde in collaboration with a USDA scientist genotyped jujube cultivars which eliminated synonyms and grouped cultivars into 23 genetic clusters. This work provided guidance for cultivar selection. Replicated trials were established in 2015 at Alcalde and Los Lunas, and in 2017 at Las Cruces, with 35+ cultivars evaluated at each site. After 10 years of evaluation, results showed that jujube cultivars performed well and produced reliable crops, particularly in southern and central New Mexico. Growers in northern regions are advised to avoid late-maturing cultivars due to shorter growing seasons. Cultivars varied in precocity, productivity, and fruit quality. ‘KFC’ and ‘Chaoyang’ were precocious and reliable producers, while late cultivars such as ‘GA866’, ‘Sherwood’, and ‘Mango Dong’ performed better in southern regions. ‘Dongzao’, although not precocious, is a strong candidate for fresh markets due to its excellent fresh-eating quality. For the same cultivar, trees grown in southern New Mexico exhibited faster growth, larger fruit, and higher soluble solids content than those in northern regions. Only minimal pruning was applied to manage tree height. Based on these trials, 50 cultivars were described with region-specific recommendations.

Stacy Oporto1, Richard J. Heerema2, Monte Nesbit3, Larry Stein4, Kimberly Cervantes1

1380 A&M Circle, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79927; 945 College Dr., Extension Plant Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88001; 495 Horticulture Rd., Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843; 1619 Garner Field Rd., Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, Uvalde, TX 78801

Carya illinoinensis, pecan, is native to a broad region of North America extending from Illinois, USA, to Oaxaca, Mexico. Texas is a leading producer of pecans in the United States, with the crop generating millions of dollars in revenue annually. The pecan industry is vital to West Texas, contributing to the region’s economy and cultural heritage. However, the arid climate of the southwestern United States poses challenges, particularly with respect to high temperatures, water availability and quality. In West Texas, pecan orchard floors are traditionally cultivated clean, and limited research has evaluated the impacts of vegetated floors on pecan production and orchard health in the region. The objective of this preliminary study was to compare root-zone soil moisture in pecan orchards managed with vegetated orchard floors versus clean-cultivated floors. Measurements of volumetric soil moisture, soil temperature, canopy temperature, and air temperature were collected throughout the growing season from two pecan orchards in El Paso County, Texas. Initial observations indicate that orchards with vegetation maintained higher soil moisture and exhibited lower canopy temperatures than orchards without vegetation, whereas soil temperature data was inconsistent between orchards. These observations lead us to hypothesize that maintaining vegetation in pecan orchard floors may improve soil moisture retention and moderate canopy temperature, thereby enhancing water use efficiency. A multi-year study, in which both management strategies are implemented within each orchard, will enable a more rigorous comparative analysis of their effects on water use efficiency, tree health, yield potential, production costs and returns, and overall long-term sustainability.

Authors: Juan Aguilera¹, Perla Alarcon¹, Ogochukwu R. Abasilim², Cristina Dominguez³, Leah Whigham⁴, Gabriela A. Gallegos¹, Elizabeth F. Racine²

Affiliations:

¹UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in El Paso

²Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at El Paso

³La Semilla Food Center

⁴The University of Texas at Austin

Abstract:

Food supply chains in the southern border counties of Texas and New Mexico face persistent disruptions driven by environmental, infrastructural, socio-economic, and policy-related stressors. This study conducted a scoping review to identify and synthesize evidence on challenges and barriers affecting food supply chains in the region. Peer-reviewed literature and grey literature published between 2014 and 2024 were systematically searched and appraised using the AACODS framework.

Findings revealed three major categories of challenges: systemic environmental and workforce pressures, infrastructure and logistics gaps, and sector-specific barriers that interact across the supply chain. Environmental stressors such as drought, aquifer depletion, and extreme heat reduce agricultural productivity, while infrastructure limitations, including insufficient aggregation hubs, cold storage facilities, and transportation networks, constrain distribution efficiency. Cross-border dependencies and inspection delays further increase costs and spoilage risk. Retail inequities in rural colonias, where stores often lack refrigeration, and households have limited purchasing power, reduce access to fresh, nutritious foods.

These findings demonstrate that food supply chain barriers in the border region are interconnected and cascading, indicating that strengthening regional food systems will require coordinated infrastructure investment, cross-sector collaboration, and binational supply chain planning.

Rules 

• Get 21 points to end the round 

• Get 1 point every time you roll the round number 

• Round 1 roll 1s 

• Round 2 roll 2s  

• etc 

• Get 5 points if you roll 3 of a kind 

• Get 21 points if you roll 3 of a kind of the round number (this is a BUNCO) 

• Each round will be 5 min unless a table gets to 21 points 

• Switching tables 

• Winners will move clockwise and partner with one of the losers 

Team with the most points at the table wins! 

Bunco offers a relaxed, engaging way to connect with others in a low‑pressure, social setting. The game’s simple structure makes it easy for participants of all experience levels to jump in and enjoy themselves, allowing conversations to flow naturally. Each round features brief introductions as players rotate tables, giving everyone the chance to meet new people without the awkwardness of forced networking. Between rolls and rounds, there’s plenty of time to chat, exchange ideas, and build connections, making Bunco an enjoyable blend of fun, laughter, and meaningful networking throughout the event.