Agriculture

New Mexico’s farmers, dairy producers, and ranchers help drive the state’s economy and are an integral part of our history. Many growers in New Mexico come from families who have cultivated their land for generations. Today, however, challenges such as water shortages and wildfires have made farming more difficult.

I am strong proponent and cosponsor of the Senate’s bipartisan farm bill, which helps provide certainty for rural New Mexico and boosts our state’s dynamic agriculture economy. The farm bill includes federal funding for important programs in New Mexico including soil and water conservation, rural economic development, drought and disaster assistance, renewable energy, and food and nutrition programs.

Latest

  • Udall, Heinrich, Torres Small Announce $4.64 Million to Help Increase Access to Clean Water in Doña Ana County

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has awarded a grant of $3,629,065 and approved a loan of $1,014,000, totaling $4,643,065, to help the Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Authority upgrade and modernize the water system in Berino, New Mexico.  Read More

  • ADVISORY for AUG 7: Heinrich Announces Local Food Tour

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will kick off a local food tour on Wednesday, August 7, to highlight the success and variety of New Mexico's local farms and agriculture-related products, and emphasize the economic and health benefits of supporting strong local food systems. Read More

  • Lawmakers offer bill to protect Native products

    U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich has heard the stories about people passing off agriculture products as Native American made. Now he, U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján and other lawmakers want to find out how widespread the activity is. "I've been working on this issue for five years now," Heinrich told the Journal. “Tesuque Pueblo was the first group to approach me about this. They have harvest seed that’s been around thousands of years. It’s only selectively bred in the Southwest.” Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich, Torres Small Announce $7.89 Million to Upgrade and Improve Rural Water Infrastructure in Socorro

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development has awarded $7,892,462 in funding to help upgrade and improve rural water infrastructure in the City of Socorro. The award, which was funded through the USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, includes $4,950,000 in low-cost loans and $2,942,462 in grants for projects that will increase access to clean water, benefitting businesses, communities, and residents across Socorro. Read More

  • As NM Prepares for Wildfire Season, Udall, Heinrich, & Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Reverse Proposed Cuts to Wildfire Prevention, Firefighting Budget

    March 28, 2019) - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee joined seven Western Senate colleagues in urging the Trump administration to reverse proposed funding cuts to critical wildfire prevention and forest restoration projects throughout the country.   Read More

  • N.M. lawmakers target PFAS contamination

    Democratic Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich along with Rep. Ben Ray Luján introduced companion legislation to authorize the Defense Department to use funds to provide clean water for agricultural purposes to areas affected by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Call On EPA To Set Federal Drinking Water Standards For PFOA And PFOS

    Feb. 5, 2019) - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are urging Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to develop federal drinking water standards for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as part of the agency's national management plan for this class of chemicals. In a bipartisan letter to Wheeler, the Senators also request that the EPA provide briefings on the agency’s efforts on this issue, as well as regular updates on the progress of those efforts. The Senators’ letter comes in response to a report that the agency does not plan to establish enforceable drinking water standards for the chemicals, which have been linked to a variety of adverse health implications.   Read More

  • Heinrich To Address Joint Session Of NM Legislature

    SANTA FE, N.M. - On Friday, January 25, at 12 p.m. MT, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will address a joint session of the New Mexico Legislature to share his vision for the state and urge lawmakers to make bold investments in early childhood education, clean energy, and New Mexico families. Read More

  • Luján, Udall, Heinrich, and Lujan Grisham Fight For New Mexico’s Farmers And Ranchers Impacted By Natural Disasters

    Today, Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) sent a letter to the New Mexico State Farm Service Agency's office about the proposed 2018 County Expected Yield/T-Yield for Rio Arriba County. The lawmakers expressed concern that the process to determine the T-Yield value is inconsistent with previous years and would have a negative impact on farmers and ranchers. Read More

  • Udall, Heinrich Secure Provisions Making Acequias and Land Grants Eligible for Grants and Technical Assistance

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they secured a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13, to make acequias and land grant-mercedes eligible for grants and technical assistance from conservation and environmental programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to increase agricultural water efficiency and further conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources. Read More