From left: Christine Salem, Deborah Madison, Ron Boyd, Alessandra Haines, Jody Pugh, Diane Pratt, Steve Haines, Hal Bogart.
Ron Boyd has been farming in La Villita, NM, for the past 20 years. He is dedicated to regenerative and organic methods on his land, Mer-Girl Farms, where he grows corn and grains and husbands hundreds of heritage fruit trees. “I grew up country with dirt under my fingernails. Still have dirt under the fingernails and seed in my pockets.”
Harold Bogart comes from a family of bread makers for home use. Following in that tradition he became interested in the variety, quality and source of the grains to use. It was natural to look to the grain team for that knowledge.
Alessandra Haines is working towards expanding local food sources and regenerative growing practices. She is a board member and educator with Homegrown New Mexico.
Steve Haines
Deborah Madison is the author of 14 cookbooks that have received a number of awards. Since retiring from cookbook writing she is now involved with the Rio Grande Grain Team.
Diane Pratt has been interested in healthy soils for 25+ years when she started composting with worms to feed her home garden soil. She has taught home composting in Santa Fe for the last 5 years thru the Santa Fe Master Gardeners Compost Acton Team. She is a certified Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance Seed School Teacher and long-time master gardener with a passion for baking (and sharing) whole-grain sourdough bread.
Jody Pugh is a master gardener and member of the Rio Grande Grain team. “My family were farmers in the Midwest. My mother planted a garden every year that I weeded during all my early years. I believe in the life-giving force of the seeds and want to protect their sanctity.”
Christine Salem, a gardener most of her life and a master gardener since 2010, hosts The Garden Journal on KSFR 101.1 FM. She is co-chair of the Santa Fe Seed Stewards and helped to launch the Santa Fe Seed Library.